Pineapple Wine

Opened up a bottle of my homebrew 2019 Vintage Pineapple 🍍 Wine. Bottled it in January 2019, so it's almost 2 years mellowed in the bottle. The aroma and the taste blew us all away. A dessert wine for sure. Commercial quality crystal clear. Hands down one of the two top wines I've made along with the Orange mead. 13% ABV/Alcohol by Volume (no added alcohol, just natural fermentation process with quality champagne yeast), same as a store bought wine. This was my very first attempt at making wine, trying to see if I can make something similar to my grandma's famous Christmas wine. Sorry grandma, you'd have stopped making wine if you tasted mine. 🤭😜

My family decided that I should stick to Pineapple and Orange mead. I was planning on making watermelon and strawberry wines in 2021. Might have to put that on hold. Other drinkable wines I've made are Red and Green Grape, Peach and Cherry. These are semi sweet to Dry. I'll probably use them for food preparation. I know that the black Cherry made an insane gravy for Christmas. 

Recipe for my homebrew Pineapple Wine will be posted some time in February, as I will be preparing a new batch this year.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJeMf-BBvlj/

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Merry Christmas

 

Stuffed to the gills, had a nap.. 🤣😂 suddenly realized I probably should post pictures of what my family raved about. 😜 Everything made from scratch, or the darn restaurant critics living in my house would petition to remove my Michelin (not stars, but tires from my SUV 🤭🤣🤪).

What's for lunch?

• A pork Roast, traditional Sri lankan style.
• A roast leg of Lamb, Scarborough Fair style 🤣 (with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme).
• Cabbage Rolls, Ukrainian Style
• Crispy Roast Potatoes, Lord knows who's style 🙄.
• Gravy, made my style, Using homemade Cherry Wine from Last year to deglaze the pan drippings from the lamb roast.
• Dinner Rolls, local bakery style. I was going to bake some at home, but then I slapped myself and promptly forgot about it..

I will post the recipes for Roasted Pork and Roasted Leg of Lamb at a later date.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJPEhdhBLA3/

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Pittu/ පිට්ටු

 

My daughter was sleeping in late after countless sleepless nights. She just completed her last Uni final exam for the year. She comes running in asking if I can prepare something quick for lunch, as she got called in for an emergency shift. I quickly prepared some Rice flour pittu and some sandwiches for her break, as she'd be working till 10pm.

On this plate: Pittu, spicy chicken curry, creamy potato curry, katta sambol, seeni sambol and a bit of the green mango curry.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJs3Z3BvJW/

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Samosas and Tea

 

Dad, anything for tea? So I futzed around trying this and that with dough. Initially meant to make patties, ended up with weird looking samosas with fish and potato (fish cutlet filling 😂). Might look a bit janky, nevertheless disappeared in next to no time.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CI9NvnXBTvS/

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A Simple lunch

 

Catching up on some housework that I had let slide. Todays meal consisted of Dhal, brinjal moju, chicken curry and gotukola salad on steamed red rice.

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Chicken Soup - Recipe

A hearty chicken soup on a cold winter's eve, is great for the body as well as the soul. This is a duplicate of the Chicken soup prepared by the Canadian restaurant chain Swiss Chalet.

Ingredients:

1 Medium sized onion Chopped
4 stalks celery Chopped
4 carrots Chopped
1/2 small red pepper Chopped
3/4 cup of frozen peas

2 cloves garlic Minced
2 Tablespoons oil
4 chicken thighs
1 L (4 cups) ready to use chicken broth
1 L (4 cups) water
1/2 cup small pasta shells (conchigliette)
salt and pepper to taste
Some finely chopped parsley 

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large pot.
• Add the onion and garlic and saute on medium heat until the onion turns translucent (about 5 to 8 minutes).
• Add the Chopped celery and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Remove the skins from the chicken thighs.
• Add the chicken, chicken broth, water, red pepper and carrots to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for an hour.
• Add the frozen peas and pasta.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the pot of water. Remove the bone and chop or shred the chicken into small pieces. Add back into the pot.
• Simmer for an additional 20 minutes until the pasta is cooked through.
• Add Chopped fresh parsley (optional).

Find this on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/p/CIcELbbB09h/

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Chicken Pot Pie - Recipe

Nothing gives that warm feeling of comfort than a hearty chicken pot pie. I prepared this dish with a rotisserie chicken, and store bought pie shells. The mix was directly placed into the individual serving bowls, and covered with the pie pastry.

Ingredients: 

500g Rotisserie chicken breast - shredded or cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

¼ cup diced potatoes

½ cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup sliced celery

1 stick of butter

⅓ cup chopped onion

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 ¾ cups chicken broth

1 cup frozen green peas

⅔ cup milk

unbaked store bought or homemade pie sheets, enough to cover individual serving crocs or a pie pan

Method:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

Step 2

In a saucepan, combine carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

Step 3

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk to make a roux. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick and the taste of raw flour has disappeared. Add shredded chicken and frozen peas, stir well to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 4

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust if using a pie pan or directly into the serving dish. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. brush with egg yolk to give the dish a golden brown finish. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

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What makes a great mixed grill? It depends on what's available at hand, as well individual preferences of the Diner. At our house, my wife and I all the standard cuts of meat, as well as stuff like liver, and tripe. Kids tend to stay away from those 😂. 

A mixed grill is all about assortment and in my mind the more the merrier. My wife and I grew up in in the far off tropical island of Sri Lanka, and our favorite restaurant that served this dish to perfection was the Fountain Cafe in Colombo (Which may or may not be around now).

I suggest you always bring the meat to room temperature before you season it and head to grill. Doing so allows the meat to cook more evenly. On this plate: Quality Bratwursts, Chicken breasts, Pork Chops and grilled chicken livers, along with a fried egg and Steak cut fries. A cold brew to wash it all down.

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A bit of TLC

My lovely wife @shehaniesilva was having some cold weather blues. I though of making something special to cheer her up a bit. Mission accomplished 🥰

On her plate: Stuffed yellow banana pepper (මාළු මිරිස්), fish cutlet, spicy sauteed potatoes, parsley salad, eggplant moju, chicken curry with saffron ghee rice.

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Eggplant Moju Recipe - Airfryer Version

Sri Lankan eggplant/brinjal pickle(wambatu moju).

Fried eggplant, shallots, green chillies mixed with mustard-vinegar to pickle the vegetables, giving it a combo of sweet, sour and heat. You’ll have every opportunity to taste the sour brinjal curry if you ever set foot in a Sri Lankan home, specially during festive celebrations or Sunday Lunches and dinners. The dish is a classic and found in most Sri Lankan menus.

Ingredients:

• I used 2 Large Aubergines/ Eggplant, about 500g
• a few red onions or pearl onions, about 250g
• a few small Thai green chillies, about 100g
• Teaspoon of Garlic paste
• Teaspoon of Ginger paste
• Half a teaspoon of Turmeric powder
• Two Teaspoons of Chilli powder
• Two tablespoons of prepared mustard seed
• Two Tablespoons of sugar
• about 100ml of Vinegar
• about 200ml of an unflavoured/ mild oil
• a few fried sprats or a piece of Fried dry fish (Karavala) in whole or pounded (this adds a depth of flavour)
• salt and pepper according to taste

Method:

I prepared this in the Air fryer to avoid the smell of fried food from permeating throughout the house. The method is in two steps.

• Slice the Aubergines into batonettes or like french fries
• in a large bowl, mix the sliced aubergine with salt, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and pepper along with half of the oil
• spray or lightly coat the fryer basket with some oil, to prevent sticking
• place the well coated aubergine 'fries' in the air fryer basket, do not overload
• Select 'French fries' program, or set fryer to 380C for 15-16 minutes manually
• shake the basket, or toss contents to allow for even frying
• Check for doneness by tasting a small piece. product should be crispy and cooked through

Heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan on stove top over medium high heat. add the garlic and ginger, saute for a few seconds. add the the pearl/red onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions are cooked. add the fried aubergines, the prepared mustard seed, fried sprats/karavala, vinegar and sugar. mix well. Check for salt levels and spiciness, adjust according to taste. mix contents of pan carefully. Enjoy. (you can also cheat a bit if you are in a hurry, and you have a bottle of MD Brand Sinhala/Aba Atcharu. This is technically a pickle, and the Sinhala/aba Atcharu is a premix of most ingredients required for the moju, sans the aubergines)

Store in an airtight bottle in the refrigerator

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Poker night ♠️♥️♣️♦️

The guys were coming over to shoot the breeze, drink beer and play poker, if we ever got around to it. Prepared some snacks to go along with the cold brews. Crispy chicken wings, crumb coated shrimp and crispy steak cut fries. We ended up bitching more about the current squatter in the White house than playing poker. 😂😄

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Parippu Vadai (පරිප්පු වඩේ) - Recipe

Nothing brings back fond memories when indulging in this tasty street food. Any time we visited the Galle Face green as kids, travelling by train or bus on long distance journeys, vendors shouting වඩේ වඩේ, and the first bite of the crispy lentil fritter, sometimes garnished with a prawn, was pure bliss. Since this is not something commonly available in Canada, I researched a bit on how they were made, made a few adjustments, and Voila!.. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup කඩල පරිප්පු / Split Pea/chana dhal soaked for 6hrs
• ¾ cups Red Onions chopped
• ½ tbs Ginger minced
• 1 tbs Green Chilli minced
• 2 tbs Curry Leaves thinly sliced
• ½ tsp Chili Flakes
• ½ tsp Salt
• Oil to fry

Method:

• Wash and soak the dhal at least for 6hrs. Drain well, then grind in a food processor without adding water. Don’t completely grind to a paste, leave some broken bits and the rest ground well, so it’ll help with forming the fritters.
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients. The chopped onions, minced ginger, green chilli, thinly cut curry leaves, chilli flakes, and salt.
• Combine everything together well and start to shape them into small flat patties (do not make them thick, the middle might not cook properly, while the outside is burnt), a small bulge in the middle, tapering off to the edges.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot, fry the vada, a couple at a time until they turn to a golden colour. Do not overcook, the fritters will darken even after removing from the deep fryer
• Use a spider or a slotted spoon to take them out of the oil and place them on paper towels or a draining rack to drain the excess oil.
• Enjoy it with a cup of Ceylon ginger tea.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH1PlAihq9J/

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Chinese (Fish) Rolls - Recipe

 

Filling

• A Can of Tinned Mackerel (or Tuna), deboned and shredded. (or minced/ground beef/mutton, if you prefer Mutton Rolls
• 2 medium potatoes – boiled, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large onion and a couple of cloves of garlic
• Few curry leaves, Pandan leaf and thinly sliced green chillies
• 3 Cardamom pods and 3 cloves (crushed in a mortar and pestle)
• Salt, pepper, chilli flakes, coriander and cumin powder
• Squeeze of lemon
• Oil for frying

For the crêpes

3 cups of flour

1 Egg

2 – 3 cups of Water

Crumb coating

Egg

Flour

Bread crumbs

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Method:

The filling

• Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onions, garlic and the curry leaves, till the onions softens, add the crushed cardamoms and cloves and pandan leaf and the sliced green chilli. keep sauteing till the aromatics are active
• Add in the shredded Mackerel or Tuna, followed by the rest of spices.
• Once the fish has been sauteed, I like to add in a handful of chopped fresh coriander/Cilantro to add a bit of freshness.
• Lastly stir in the mashed/cubed potato. For beef rolls specifically, keep the meat to potato ratio low as the potatoes should not overshadow the taste and texture of the mince.
• Lastly taste for seasoning and round off the flavours with a squeeze of lemon juice
• Set aside to cool down

The Crêpe (pancake)

Mix the flour, egg, & water and whisk to form a smooth, lump free batter. The consistency of the batter should be somewhat similar to that of a pancake mixture – but slightly runnier. A simple hand whisk always ensures a lump free mixture. Use a blender if you must, and strain for lump free batter

Season with a pinch of salt

Note: It is important to make the batter thin as a thick mixture would result in thick crêpes which would make the ‘roll’ thicker and tends to split after rolling. So remember to take the water quantity only as a guide and adjust accordingly.

Forming the roll

• Heat a non stick (it is really essential to use a non stick pan for this!) pan under medium heat and ladle in a spoonful of the crêpe mixture in and swirl it around the same way you would to make an omelette.
• Once cooked on one side, Flip the pancake with a flat spatula and cook the other side.
• Remove the crêpe from the pan, onto a plate.
• Repeat with remaining batter
• Bring two sides of the crêpe towards the centre and start rolling to form a ‘roll’ shape as shown below.
  

  
  
• be mindful that the crêpes fresh out of the pan are obviously hot!
• When making the rolls with crêpes fresh out of the pan, you do not have to seal the edges with a egg mixture. But if you feel the roll is not sealed properly at the end, you could seal the edge with a bit of egg wash.

Crumb Coating

• Add All purpose flour to dish and set aside.
• For the egg wash, beat an egg or two with a fork and set aside. Or You could simply prepare a thin batter made from a bit of water and a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour.
• Next add breadcrumbs into a deep dish and set aside. 
• Now, dip a roll in the flour, then the egg wash or batter and transfer it to the breadcrumbs to coat it well.
• Set aside on a plate, repeat.
• Refrigerate for at least half an hour. This will make sure the roll actually binds the coating properly, and not fall apart when dropped into the deep fryer.
• Heat up oil in a pan and deep fry the crumbed rolls till they are golden, Do not overcook! The roll will keep on cooking even after removing from the oil, and will darken. Drain on a draining rack or on newspapers/paper towels.
• Enjoy with some Sri Lankan Chilli Sauce or some tomato ketchup

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHq_2L3BKfr/

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Chicken Samosas

 

A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, cheese, beef and other meats, or lentils. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. The Indian style, often accompanied by a chutney, is probably the most widely known of a broad family of recipes from Africa to China, which have origins in medieval times or earlier. 

Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the local cuisines of South Asia, Western Asia, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, and Africa. Due to emigration and cultural diffusion from these areas, samosas today are often prepared in other regions.

The Samosas I make are very different to the ones that's familiar at Indian restaurants. Basically it's a lazy man's way out, making something quick, easy and savoury for tea time. A detailed recipe will be posted in another post.

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Sunday morning Brekky

 

Kids: Dad? please make a tasty breakfast?
Me: boiled sweet potatoes with coconut sambol? 🤔
Also me: boiled mung bean with grated coconut and katta sambol? 🤔
Kids: 😣😝🙄😭

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVW17Wh4Wk/

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Trolling the Family..

 

OK.. I was bored... Wifey said "honey, can we have something light for dinner?" Well, she wasn't exactly specific what she wanted.. probably hoping it wasn't pasta 😄🤣 So I served this. 😎 kids were like.. WTH??

Spicy Bratwurst sausages wrapped in... a paratha roti ??? 😆😋 and prepared a la typical Sri Lanka fish/mutton roti. Hasselback potatoes brushed with roasted sausage drippings. Disappointed looks from kids, who were looking for seconds. (My son actually looked under the table to see if anything had fallen off the plate 😂😄)

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHRYJVVh8KU/

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Chicken Parmigiana

 

Kids wanted Chicken parmigiana, as they liked the preparation. So I prepared it again, but with a different side. 3 cheese tortellini in a roasted garlic and cheese sauce, crisp Romaine in a Caesar salad, topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHME3OyhdML/

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Chicken Parmigiana

 

Dinner.. Pollo alla parmigiana a la Giovanni 😂, or in plain English, Chicken Parmesan by me 😅😉 resting on bed of pasta in marinara sauce with a dash of chili flakes and grated parmesan cheese. Delicioso!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHEc5N0hZsZ/

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Birthday Breakfast

 

Our daughter Gina turned 20 today. So I made breakfast in bed for her. Eggs, sausages, potatoes and fresh fruit. Gifts and surprises to follow.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGx8ZpchKnb/

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Breakfast

 

The best way to wake up everyone in house on a cold Sunday morning. Make a hot breakfast and fresh brewed coffee 😁😃

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfb0s6Bh4g/

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Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving. Prepared a traditional thanksgiving lunch from scratch. Oven roasted turkey with herbs and olive oil, gravy, stuffing, roasted potatoes AND potato salad. Roasted vegetables, and steamed corn. For dessert, Pumpkin pie and Haagen Dazs Vanilla bean ice cream.

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQLZTchpp9/

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Lunch

 

Samba rice cooked in beef broth made from pressure cooked soup bones. Same taste as Lamprais. . Tender pieces of beef mixed into the rice, accompanied with the Chicken curry made with Larich Chicken curry paste (@larichfoodsglobal), Spicy sauteed potatoes, and a cooling Cucumber/red onion and egg salad. Rave reviews from family. 😊

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CE24gZTFhHu/

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Brunch

 

My daughter Gina said it's time we all sat down and had a decent breakfast, instead of grabbing one of my famous McDonald's style egg McMuffins and an Orange or Apple juice. They are busy again for the next foreseeable future. So I made this today. Eggs, Bacon, Sausages, Potatoes and Fruit.

I can feel the eyerolls 🙄🙄 from the health nuts 😂😂😂

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEuH6HYle_P/

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String Hoppers

 

A friend wanted to surprise us and sent over a platter of string hoppers and a dynamite coconut sambol. Whipped up potato, dhal and chicken curries to accompany the strings. Pure bliss 😍😋😋

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEKuwZnFjZB/

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Mead

 

YEAH BABY! It's finally done! My very first mead using source certified pure bees honey. Mead (for those who are not familiar with the term) is honey wine. The simplest form is Honey, water and yeast. That's it. I followed Joe's ancient orange, clove and cinnamon mead (found via Google). Started on the 25th of January this year. Final racking today, will bottle it closer to Christmas. About 9% alcohol by Volume. This tastes incredible, and really smooth. No chemicals, no added alcohols, just straight forward nature's fermentation, and clearing. It's crystal clear by the way. Put a 375ml bottle in the refrigerator to chill. 😍😍😋

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDq27odF28E/

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Camping - Canada Day Weekend

 

Wilderness Camping in our trailer. Quiet fun family times, having grilled/BBQ'd food outside. Fresh clean air, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Campfires, smores and lots of laughter.

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