Egg Wash

An egg wash is a coating applied to some baked goods and other foods to create a distinctive finish. Especially in the field of baking, an egg wash is often added to breads and sweets to create a glazed look. Egg brushed bread will also have a slightly more crispy, flaky crust, which is sometimes a desired texture in baking. As one can imagine, there are several different types of egg wash, all of which have a different end impact on the food.

A very basic egg wash is made by simply lightly beating an egg and brushing it onto the food. Other ingredients such as milk, water, or salt may be added for a specific finish, and eggs are also frequently separated to make an egg wash. Some recipes specify which type of egg washshould be used, while others allow the cook to decide which would be best. In any case, the eggs used in an egg wash should be as fresh as possible.

Appetizers made with puff pastry

1. 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
2. 75g soft goat’s cheese
3. 120g fresh green or red pesto sauce
4. 20 cherry tomatoes, a mixture of
5. red and yellow, halved
6. Small fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Method

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 200_C/fan180_C/ gas 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. 2. Unroll the pastry and cut into 20 squares, each measuring 5cm. Place these on the baking trays, then top each with a little goat’s cheese, 1/2 teaspoon pesto and 2 cherry tomato halves. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is cooked, crisp and pale golden. Push any tomatoes that have fallen off back onto the pastries and transfer them to serving trays.
3. 3. Serve hot or cold, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Nutritional info

Per serving: 114kcals, 8.6g fat (2.9g saturated), 2.2g protein, 7.8g carbs, 0.6g sugar, 0.2g salt

Chef's tip

These work equally well using olive tapenade in place of the pesto.

Mix Veggie and Dry Fruits Korma...

3 cups - Boiled vegetables (9 varieties-potatoes, carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, bottle gourd, cluster beans) 150gms - Grated Paneer 3 - Tomatoes 2 - Grated onions 1 1/2 tsp -Ginger paste 1 1/2 tsp - Garlic paste Salt To Taste 1 tsp - Turmeric Powder 1 1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder 1 tsp - Coriander powder 2 tsp - Garam Masala Powder 2 tbsp - Cream 6 tbsp - Vegetable oil 1 tbsp - Ghee 1 cup - Milk / water 1/4 cup - Dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins) Coriander leaves for decoration

How To Make Navratan Korma Boil tomatoes till tender. Allow them to cool. Then peel off the tomato skin to make puree. Readymade tomato puree can also be used. Take 1 tbsp ghee and slightly fry the dry fruits for about 1 min on medium heat. Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions and ginger-garlic paste till golden brown. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry for 2-3 minutes. Next add tomato puree and dry fruits. Stir well and cook the mixture for 4 minutes. Ensure that the mixture doesn't stick to bottom of pan. Add milk (use water alternatively). Bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick. Add paneer to the gravy and stir well. Finally add all the vegetables to the above gravy and cook for 5-7 minutes. Serve the navratan korma hot. Put cream and chopped coriander leaves on the navaratna korma decorate .

Mix Veggie Korma

Ingredients:

generous 1/2 cup cashews

1 & 1/2 tbs garlic and ginger paste

 1 cup water

4 tbs oil 

1 large onion

5 green cardamom pods, bruised 

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

generous 1 cup of heavy cream --coconut milk would be good too

5oz/140 g new potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 & 1/2 cups cauliflower florets

1/2 tsp garam masala

5 oz/140 g eggplant, chopped into 1 inch chunks

5 oz/140 g green beans, chopped into 1 inch lenghs

salt and pepper to taste

chopped fresh mint to garnish

Method

1. Heat pan. Add cashews and stir until they start to brown. Remove from skillet.

2. Put nuts with garlic and ginger paste and 1 tab of water (I used more water since I used fresh

garlic and ginger). Grind in spice grinder or blender and process to a course paste.

3. Place 1/2 the Oil in pan. Brown onion over med high heat until golden.

4. Add the nut paste and stir for 5 minutes.Stir in the cardamom, cinnamon stick and turmeric.

5. Add the cream (or milk and water if using). Bring to boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to very low , cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add the potaotes, cauliflower, and garam masala and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the eggplant and green beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until veggies are tender (I may have turned it down to low, but mine took about 20 minutes!). Check to make sure it isn't sticking--I used a non-stick ceramic lined pan.

7. Taste and add salt and pepper and sprinkle with the MINT!!

Chickpea and Asparagus

1 medium onion, diced 1 rib celery, diced 8 ounces sliced mushrooms 3 cloves garlic, minced 12 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons vegetable broth or "no-chicken"broth 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup vegetable broth or "no-chicken" broth 3/4 cup unsweetened soymilk or other non-dairy milk salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 2-3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes (or 5-8 ounces raw potato, shredded) smoked paprika, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil or spray a 2-3 quart casserole dish. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Give it a quick spray of oil, if desired, and add the onions. Cook until onions soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the celery, mushrooms, and garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until mushrooms exude their juices. Add the asparagus and two tablespoons of vegetable broth, cover pan, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until asparagus is bright green and beginning to become tender. Whisk the flour into the cup of vegetable broth. Add it, the milk, nutritional yeast, thyme, and basil and heat until bubbly. Add the chickpeas and salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with an even layer of potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with salt, if desired, and smoked paprika. Bake until casserole is bubbly and top is lightly browned, 25-45 minutes (frozen potatoes will take longer than fresh). If top does not completely brown, place it under the broiler for a few seconds.

Servings: 6