CONTINENTAL EXTRAVAGANZA | A treat for the taste buds with mix-n-match recipes…

BY: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI- CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF.

Continental Cooking has always been a little challenge for many cooks and foodies love to relish the tastes which it has to offer. The style of cooking in continental is a little different from the others since it has a lot more to do and treat ingredients with as compared to usual day to day cooking. the way we work with ingredients here is a little varied from Indian cooking and regional cooking styles on the whole.

Every cuisine has something unique about it and its options may or may not please the customer since there are veg dishes and non-veg as well, there are salads and soups, main courses with accompaniments, baked goodies and breads as well. Not to forget are the desserts and sweets which we all have an appetite for. Continental cooking should not be judged as a not so very appealing cuisine.

It should be accepted with an open mind and a palate which is able to pick and explore to much beyond the regulars. Here are a few such options to try out in your kitchens.

Recipe-1] INTIMATE BOWL OF HAPPINESS [roasted red capsicum and herbed tomato soup]

Ingredients

• Red capsicum- 2 med sized.
• Tomatoes- 200 gms red ripe
• Garlic- 4-5 cloves
• Onion- 1 small chop
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp.
• Butter- 1 tsp
• Maida- 1 tsp
• Veg stock/water- 500 ml
• Basil leaves/ mixed herbs- to taste
• Salt to taste
• Crushed black pepper to taste
• Cream-1 tbsp.
• Micro greens/ parsley- for garnish
• If non-veg use bacon with garlic in the start or use chicken sausages/ salami -2 pieces chopped.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the soup.
2. Roast the red capsicums and tomatoes in an oven on a tray with few cloves of garlic little olive oil for 20 mins, until little charred on the skin.
3. Remove and pulverise the mixture in a grinder jar.
4. Heat oil and butter add little maida, saute for 10 seconds, add in the garlic, onions and saute until pink, add bacon/sausages here at this stage if desired.
5. Add in the puree mixture and bring to a boil, adjust texture with stock and add salt and pepper to taste, bring to a simmer for 10 mins, add herbs, cream and mix well, serve hot.

Recipe -2] NOSTALGIC BITES ON A CRUST [mini bruschettas/canapes with ham, cheese, scrambled eggs]

Ingredients

• Oil-1 tbsp.
• Butter- 1 tsp
• Garlic- 1 tsp chop
• Onion – 1 small chop
• Eggs- 2-3 no
• Ham slices- 1-2 no
• Cheese- ¼ cup grated
• Tomato ketchup-2 tbsp.
• Peanut butter- 1 tbsp.
• Mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste
• French bread slices/ sliced bread- 5- 8 no.

Method:

1. Prepare the slices of bread apply little olive oil or butter and toast them, keep aside.
2. Heat oil and butter in a pan saute garlic, onion, add in the eggs scramble them, add seasonings, herbs, chopped ham and cheese add little milk if needed for moisture and mix well.
3. Cook the mixture for 2 -3 mins and keep aside. Apply mix of peanut butter and ketchup on the toasted pieces of bread and top with the prepared mix, garnish appropriately and serve immediately as a starter course.

Recipe- 3] CHICKEN TORIDANGO [pan fried boneless chicken fillets steeped in a creamy mushroom sauce with garden veggies]

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken breast fillets- 400gms

For the marination:

Oil- 2 tbsp. + salt + pepper + mustard paste-1/2 tsp + white wine-2 tbsp. + mixed herbs-1/2 tsp. mix well and keep aside for 15- 20 mins.

For the mushroom cream sauce:

• Oil-1 tsp
• Butter- 1 tsp
• Maida- 2 tsp
• Garlic- 1 tsp chop
• Onion-1 small chop
• Fresh cream- 1 cup
• Milk-1/4 cup
• Cheese- 2-3 tbsp.
• White wine-1 tbsp.
• Sliced fresh button mushrooms- 1 cup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs- ½ tsp or fresh thyme/rosemary.
• Chicken stock/water- 1 cup
• Fresh parsley- 2 tsp chop

For serving with the chicken:

• Blanched asparagus tossed in butter, cubes of capsicums tossed in olive oil and garlic/assorted potato preparations like mashed potatoes can go along as well with a portion of garlic bread.

Method:

1. Prepare the chicken, marinate and keep aside, heat oil and butter in a pan, saute the chicken fillets in the hot pan for 1 min of each side and keep aside.
2. To prepare the sauce, heat oil and butter add flour and saute 15 seconds, add in the garlic and onions and saute, add in sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, herbs and cook for 1 min.
3. Add in little stock/water, cream or white sauce and mix well, add in the chicken pieces, simmer and cook for 8-10 mins covered on low flame.
4. Add cheese and mix well, portion out the dish with the colorful side accompaniments as per choice and serve hot garnished with parsley.

Recipe- 4] ON A SWEET NOTE [a classic bread pudding baked and served warm with chocolate sauce]

Ingredients

• Bread slices/leftover bread rolls etc- 4-5 no
• Butter- 2 tbsp.
• Sugar- to taste white grain sugar or brown sugar.
• Custard- 2 cups vanilla flavoured
• Fresh cream- 2 tbsp.
• Dates/ prunes/ apricots- 2 tbsp. chop
• Fresh strawberries- 5-6 sliced
• Cashews and raisins- 2 tbsp. chop
• White chocolate/dark chocolate sauce to serve.

Method:

1. Prepare the ingredients for the dessert.
2. Grease a baking dish with butter place the pieces of bread into the dish, top with the warm prepared vanilla custard, add in the nuts etc and keep layering the dessert.
3. Top with some more butter & brown sugar or grain sugar, add in the nuts/cherries as well and allow to bake in a pre- heated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 12- 15 mins until surface is light browned.
4. Remove and serve in plates top with chocolate sauce and freshly sliced fruits.

Recipe- 5] NUTTY AFFAIR [a flavourful dessert with rum and raisin soaked brownies/sponge bound together with goodness]

Ingredients

• Chocolate brownies/ sponge cake- 300gms
• Chocolate sauce- 100 ml
• Condensed milk-100 ml
• Chopped nuts- 2 tbsp. almonds/cashews/pista
• Butter- 1 tsp
• Crushed dry fruit chikki/praline- 150 gms coarsely crushed.
• Butter paper- 1 sheet to place the balls.

Method:

1. Prepare the ingredients for the sweet dessert.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together the crumbles of brownies/cake add in the rum and chopped raisins, nuts, bind it with little condensed milk and chocolate sauce and bring it all together.
3. Grease the hands and fingers, divide into lemon sized balls and coat with melted chocolate and crushed praline and set on a butter paper sheet in the fridge for 20 mins.
4. Remove and set them on a serving platter and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and warm white chocolate sauce.