Russian Salad : New Year Special

The original “Russian salad” was supposedly invented by a French chef named Lucien Olivier at the Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow, Russia around the 1860′s.
It is a tasty traditional dish of the russian cuisine, which was also known as the "Salad Genoa Style" , served as one of the main courses at the gala lunches of the Ligurian aristrocracy.
With all its different versions, the Russian salad is basically made of
vegetables and mayonnaise, it is consumed in many countries,
and it can be served as an appetizer, even if it is usually prepared for festive season, such as Christmas and new year.
 Here in India in the Army mess, I have always seen the russian salad find it's place in the English menu which goes superbly well with cutlets, baked beans, chicken fried, veg pie and of course dinner rolls.

Ingredients -

Carrot -1/2 cup
Beans -1/2 cup
Green Peas -1/2 cup
Cauliflower -1/2 cup
Apple - 1
Banana - 2
Grapes - 1/2 cup
Mango - 1/2 cup
Papaya - 1/2 cup
Pomegranate - 3 tbsp
Mayonnaise - 4 tbsp (recipe given)
White sauce  - 1/2 cup (recipe given )
Cream   - 1/2 cup

For mayonnaise -

Egg yolk - 2
Salad oil or olive oil - 300 ml
Lemon  - 1/2
Sugar - 1 1/2 tbs
Mustard powder - 1 tsp
White pepper - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Cream - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
 
For the white sauce -
Heat 25 g butter then mix 25 g flour and saute it until it is light golden. Pour 1/2 cup of milk stirring it continuously. Spread some white pepper in it and take it off the heat when all are mixed well and it is thick enough for a pouring sauce. Keep it aside.

For the mayonnaise -    
Take the egg yolks and whip it in a blender until its firm and glossy.
Put salt , sugar, mustard powder, white pepper, vinegar, lemon juice and keep mixing it until all are blended well. 
While stil running the blender add the salad oil. Slowly begin to drizzle in the oil, little by little, whilst constantly whisking, making sure that it's fully incorporated before adding more oil.
Adding in the oil too quickly, will stop the ingredients from
emulsifying and will break, or separate.
Blend till thick then stop the blender. Add the fresh cream in it and run the blender again for few seconds or till done.

Method -

1. Cut all the vegies in cubes, boil it and drain it in a strainer. Saute it in butter. Take care not to overcook it. It should be crunchy.
2. Cut the fruits also in cube size.
3. Take a big bowl and mix all the fruits (saving some for garnishing) , veggies, mayonnaise, white sauce and the cream
throughly. You can also garnish it with shredded carrot and cabbage if you like and refrigerate it for half an hour before serving.

Note - This Russian salad is a recipe which I came across few years back, at a place where mayonnaise was not readily available . So you can very well use a ready made mayo if you like but this one  certainly is healthy and good from the ubiquitous exposure to the  bottled stuff available in the market.
                                                     
                           

Vegetable Pie : New Year Special

 Ingredients  -

Carrots  - 1 cup
French beans - 1 cup
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Peas    - 1/2 cup
Brocoli   - 1/2 cup (optional)
Capscicum -1/2 cup
Cabbage shredded- 1/2 cup
(all the vegetables should be cut in 1 inch lengthwise and then measured by the cup.)
Cheese shredded  - 1 cup
Cream  -3 tbs
White sauce  - 4 tbsp ( 2 tbsp butter +2 tbsp flour + 1 cup milk)
White pepper -1 tsp + for white sauce
Salad oil - 1 tbs
Bread crumbs - 3 tbs

For the white Sauce  -  Heat butter then mix the flour and saute it until it is light golden. Pour a cup of milk stirring it continuously. Spread some white pepper in it and take it off the heat when all are mixed well and it is thick enough for a coating sauce. Keep it aside.
 

Method  -

1. Boil the vegetables, saute it in butter and let it cool.

2. Take a bowl and put half of the white sause, cream, white pepper, salad oil, 1/2 cup of cheese in it and mix it .

3. put all the vegetables in it and mix so the vegetables are coated in the sauce nicely.
4. Take a oven  proof dish in which you have to serve it.
5. Place the veg mixture in it .
6. Spread the remaining white sauce and sprinkle the cheese and the  bread crumbs over it.
7. Bake it in an oven until the upper layer turns golden brown.
8. Serve it hot With bread or dinner rolls, russian salad, fried chicken in English menu. 

                  

Christmas Cake with Royal Icing : Celebrating Christmas

 

  
Ingredients -
All purpose flour - 225 g
Brown Sugar - 200 g
Butter - 175 g
Eggs - 5
Currants - 100 g
Sultanas - 100 g
Raisins - 50 g
Glase cherries - 50 g
Mixed dried fruit chopped ( cashews, almonds, walnuts) - 1/2 cup
Candied peel mixed - 1/2 cup
Mixed spices - 1 tsp
( take 1 tsp each of nutmeg,allspice,cinnamon,cloves,dried ginger and dry grind it.)
Ground nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Ground cloves - 1/2 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Soda bicarb - 1/2 tsp
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Lemon zest - 1/2 lemon
Brandy - 3-4 tbsp

Royal icing - 
Icing sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Egg white - 2
Lemon juice - few drops

                               
Method -

1. Soak the raisin, currants and sultanas in the brandy and keep it overnight.
2. Take butter in a big mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixture on a high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add sugar gradually, whisking it all the time. By now it should be double in volume.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition.
5. Sift the flour with baking powder and soda and add it to the batter gradually on a very low speed or with a wooden spatula.
6. Add all the spices, mixed dried fruits, soaked currants, raisins,
sultanas and the cherries, candied peel, cocoa and the zest of the lemon.
7. Grease and line a round or square baking dish of your choise and pour the batter evenly into it.
8. Bake it in a moderate oven for about an hour and half or until done and when inserted with a skewer it should come out clean. Take it out and let it cool completely before putting royal icing over it.
9. Make the cake weeks before christmas if you want it moist and want to feed the cake with brandy. Just make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbsp of brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake. Then decorate your cake with royal icing.

Royal icing -
 
1. sift the icing sugar through a fine sieve to avoid any trace of lump.
2.  Beat egg white with a wodden spatula or electric mixture until soft peak forms, gradually add icing sugar, beating well all the time.
3. Add lemon juice and keep beating it until the peak holds its shape.
When the icing is glossy and stiff it's ready to use.
4. A little food colouring can be added if necessary.
5. Leave around 4-5 tbsp of icing for the snowman and mistletoe and cover the cake completely with the remaining icing and keep it refriged for some time before decorating it with the snowman and mistletoe.

For the Snowman and Mistletoe - 

 
1. Mix about 5-6 tbsp of icing sugar in the royal icing and knead it like a dough. If it is still moist  you can add more sugar until it resembles a pliable dough.
2. Divide the dough in two part. Shape the first part like a snow man. You can use food colour for the eyes, nose, cap, buttons and the muffler of snowman. Let it dry for an hour before placing it on the cake.
3. Add green food colour to the remaining dough and give it a shape of three leaves and draw with brush to resemble more like a leaf.
4. Let it dry for an hour and then adjust it in one corner of the cake and cut three cherries and assemble it all .
5.  Enjoy christmas with this lovely cake.... A merry christmas to you all.

Mashed Potato and Cheese Pie : Celebrating Christmas

Ingredients -

Boiled and mashed potatoes - 4 large
Cheddar cheese  grated - 1 cup + for garnish
Freshly ground pepper powder - 1 tsp
Milk warm - 1/2 cup
Butter melted - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

For white sauce -
Butter - 2 tsp
All purpose flour - 2 tsp
Cheese grated - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
pepper powder - a pinch
Milk - 1/2 cup

Method -
 
1. Make white sauce in a frying pan by melting the butter and frying all purpose flour in it until it slightly changes colour. Add the milk, cheese, salt and pepper and stir it on a low heat until it is thick enough for a pouring sauce.
2. Take the mashed potatoes in a big bowl.
3. Mix milk, butter, pepper powder, salt and cheese in the potato nicely until it's smooth and light.
4. Line a pie dish with butter. Spread potato mix in the dish evenly.
Now spread the white sauce over it and garnish it with cheese.
5. Bake it in a pre heated oven till the upper layer of the pie turns to a golden colour.
6. Enjoy this splendid dish with your family members and guests on the beautiful occasion of christmas.