Sri Lankan Feast

Last Saturday, Chanika, Courtney and I decided it would be fun to get together and cook dinner. Going out to the same place all the time gets kinda boring. This was something different and since we are were all going to Chanika’s house we decided to celebrate her heritage and make it a Sri Lankan theme.

Mixed Fried Rice

Chanika rounded up a couple traditional Sri Lankan recipes from her mom and the three of us each worked on a dish while the kids and men played X-box (….not cuz they’re lazy, but cuz we kept kicking them out of the kitchen). The menu was mixed fried rice with prawns, chicken curry and a Thai chicken with peanut sauce.

Courtney worked on the rice, Chanika handled the Thai chicken and I was in charge of the chicken curry. Everything had a bit of spice to it but wasn’t overpowering or unmanageable. Like any recipe we all kind of modified it to taste. Of course, I was all excited about making dinner because it meant i got to take pictures of the whole thing. Chanika knows me all too well. She copied the recipes of the dishes we cooked so I could talk about them in the blog. Thanks friend!

Chicken Curry

No bias here, but I thought the chicken curry was faaaaaantastic! It was stewed in coconut milk spiced with curry, cinnamon and chilli and was delicious on a bed of the fried rice. The Thai chicken had a little kick to it too but was complemented by a side of peanut sauce that you could dip into.

After dinner, we played a round of Trivial Pursuit where, to my shame, my team was annihilated. Mental note: do not ever play on the same team with Chanika because she CANNOT resist the urge to provide the answers to the opposing teams!

Thai Chicken

Embarrassing defeat aside, I love getting together, cooking, eating, talking and just being around friends. This is what makes a great night for me. The three of us agreed that we would try to make this a regular thing. Next month, we’re going to Courtney’s….so start planning that menu Court!Here’s the recipe for chicken curry:

Chicken Curry

• 1 1/2 kg chicken
• 5 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 spoons vinegar
• 4 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp saffron powder
• 3 green chillies (cut)
• 2 onions chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1″ piece of ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 cardamons
• 2 cloves
• Bay leaf or curry leaves
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp roasted curry powder

Clean and wash chicken and cut into pieces. Add salt, vinegar, saffron powder to the saffron powder to the pieces and leave it for 10min. Heat pan and roast the chilli powder & curry powder. Add to the chicken. Mix well. Add the oil into a pan, when it’s hot add the curry leaves, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, onions, cardamons & cloves. Fry till the onions are golden brown. Then add the seasoned chicken, green chillies, cinnamon & the water.

Stir, cover & boil. Reduce heat and add the coconut milk. Allow the curry to simmer. Stir once or twice. When chicken is cooked remove heat & sprinkle the rest of the curry powder.

Nutella: Sweet Chocolatey & Hazelnutty Goodness

Adriano's Nutella French Toast was a smash hit at the party.

Being the son of Italian parents, Nutella seems to have been around me since birth. I love the stuff. Can’t get enough of it. I wish I could live off Nutella alone. Imagine my surprise when during this year’s edition of our neighbourhood holiday walkabout I realized not everyone has heard of this heaven sent that fills me up with chocolate and hazelnut goodness.

After being told by Pina, on numerous occasions, that my recipe was going to be a failure, I am proud to say they were the hit of the party. Consider yourself lucky I am willing to share it.

Nutella French Toast

• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 ripe but firm bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• cup Nutella
• 12 bread, (1/2 inch thick), such as brioche
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• cup milk chocolate shavings
• Powered sugar for dusting

Whisk together eggs, chocolate milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, in a medium bowl, and set aside. Lay out 6 slices of bread on work surface. Top each slice with Nutella and sliced bananas. Top with remaining bread slices; press gently to seal the sandwiches.

Quickly dip sandwiches into batter for a couple seconds. Carefully turn sandwiches over and repeat on other side.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry half of the French toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup and powered sugar.

Brain Boosting Power

Exams are finally over and after some heavy duty cramming..errr…i mean studying, an energy boost is definitely needed. At this point, my brain feels like it’s melted. Don’t ask how it went either…I came close to crying when someone asked that loaded question earlier this week.

My brain needs all the help it can get right now, so I did a little research on foods that might help give your a little brain boost.

Blueberries
These little guys are the superman of the food world. They contain antioxidants that give your memory a kick.  Try to eat them daily if you can. Just throw them in your cereal or into your yogurt.

Eggs
Crack a few eggs and make yourself an omelet! Eggs contain choline, which helps boost memory.

Salmon
Omega 3 is your friend. It’s been recommended by those in the know that we should be eating fish at least once a week.

Olive, Walnut, Avocado and Flax Seed Oils
Another great source of those all important Omega 3s.

Almonds
Perfect for a snack to help subside hunger, but they are also great for that brain! They’re loaded with magnesium, vitamins B and E, fibre and protein.

Flax Seeds
Flax seed is yet another super food that contains omega 3s. They take a bit of getting used to but nowadays you can find them in breads that make it easier to handle.

Aside from all the foods that could help keeping those facts inside your head, eating breakfast and getting a full night’s sleep will also ensure that you are ready for exams. Of course, this information would have been useful before my exam! But luckily, next semester’s exams aren’t that far off.

Here’s a recipe for a smoothie that incorporates some of those powerful blueberries.  Perfect for breakfast.

That might not look so good...but it's yummy, honest

Blueberry Orange Smoothie
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 ounces fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 cup orange juice
1 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla

Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend away!

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Yesterday I posted a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Clusters but didn’t add a picture. So last night I made some. Here are a few photos….

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

I’m bringing them into work tomorrow as a treat for my coworkers. I put them in a cute little holiday box. I hope they like them!

Wonderfully packaged Chocolate Peanut Clusters