X MAS SPECIAL BOOZY DESSERT

Dear all,

There is no excuse for my vanishing act from time to time. But i have been crazily busy.

But am back with a boozy treat on this christmas eve for you all as a bribe for the vanishing act that i have been doing.

So get ready to make a cake with the fresh produce of the season and pair it with an equally amazing boozy sauce to cut the chill that the Delhi winters is bringing in for all of us.

The Li'l Princess is off to school for the XMas carnival and am thawing myself with a big mug of hot hot steaming coffee.

CARROT & BEETROOT CAKE WITH WHISKEY SAUCE

Ingredients-

2 cups grated carrots
2 cups grated beetroot
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup vegetable oil
4 no eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon powder

Method-

* Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
* Add in the eggs and the oil and mix until just blended.
* Add the carrots, beetroot, nuts and fold well.
* Grease a 1 kg cake tin.
* Put the batter in the prepared cake tin.
* Bake at 200C for abt 35-40 mins.

For the whiskey sauce-

Ingredients-

100 gms cream
100 gms milk maid
20 gms chocolate
100 ml whiskey
a pinch of salt

Method-

* Mix the cream and the milk maid in a pan and bring to a slow boil.
* Add in the chocolate and let it melt.
* Add the salt.
*. Take it off the fire and add the whiskey.

Junior's Joy Box from Domino's

Since my princess is going to go away to her grandparent's in two days, so i thought she deserved a treat. Hence i ordered the newly launched Junior's Joy Box from Domino's.

The Junior's Joy Box from DOMINO'S

First look of the box, it looked very colorful and attractive for a kid. And it had some pretty caricatures on top. And it came with a Mango beverage and a toy, Sponge Bob Square Pants.

The Joy Box from inside

 My princess finished all of it and said that it tasted divine. I agree with her although i didn't taste it, just smelled and looked at it.

Cheesy Pizza sticks, Garlic bread stick, Custard Pizza Stick

 So if i had to give a rating, i would give it a score of 4.5/5.

Sponge Bob ready to devour the Custard Pizza Stick

Mango Cake

Since the EU ban, mango has flooded the market. Hence i had to try various uses of mango and also because it is my princess's favorite fruit.This fruit she will ask to be given at any time of the day. Any other fruit has to be coaxed past her eyes.

The white turning into yellow

 Hence it was mango cake with fresh mango puree. I used the south Indian safeda. They were huge as i got about 3 in a kg. So each one weighed more then 300 gms easily.


Ingredients-

Sugar- 1 cup
Maida- 1 cup
Oil- 1 cup
Eggs- 2 nos
Mango puree- 1 cup
Baking pwd- 1 tsp

The cake and the top

Method-

1. Cream the eggs and the sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add the oil and mix well.
3. Add the puree and mix well.
4. Fold in the flour and do not over-mix.
5. Pour into a greased baking tine.
6. Bake at about 180 C for about 30 minutes.

Mushroom & Baby corn Enchilada

Good morning all!!
In my previous post i forgot to mention Enchilada which is also made from corn or whole wheat tortilla.

Enchilada- is a rolled and filled corn tortilla which is then smothered in a spicy tomato salsa or sauce. It can have any number of fillings or combinations of ingredients, such as meats, vegetables or even potatoes.

I made Enchilada but without cheese and did not smother it with any sauce. Why? Because am trying to shed some of my excess baggage due to hypothyroidism. Hence am trying to eat healthy.

Mushroom and baby corn Enchilada

Ingredients-

Mushrooms-5 nos sliced
Baby corn- 5 sliced
Red bell pepper- 1/2, juliennes
Onion- 1 small, sliced
Olive oil- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Salsa- 2 tbsp
Corn Tortilla- 2 nos

Method-

1. Blanch the baby corn in boiling water for 2 minutes. And refresh in cold water.
2. In a pan, heat the olive oil.
3. Add the onion and saute till translucent.
4. Add the mushroom and saute till all moisture has evaporated.
5. Add the baby corn and toss to mix.
6. Add the salsa and mix well. Check for seasoning.
7. Remove and put on the tortillas and roll.

Sausage Quesadilla

Let's try some Mexican food today that i made for my princess. Before we begin the recipe let me explain some of the basic Mexican dishes to you for better understanding.

The start of some of these interesting and yummy dishes is with a flat bread called Tortilla. A Tortilla is made with whole wheat flour and very similar to our chappati or phulka. It could also be made with maize flour or corn flour( no not the white corn flour, but the makki ka atta). Tortilla is made from an unleavened, water based dough, rolled and cooked over a griddle.

Once you have the basic tortilla ready with you, you can make several other dishes derived from the humble tortilla, like taco, burrito, etc.

Taco- Is one of the most traditional Mexican dish which is a tortilla folded into half and has a filling. The opening is left open and not sealed in any way.  The filling can be made of anything and everything that your taste buds fancy. it could be fish, chicken, beef, and even non traditional fillings like tofu. It also has lettuce, vegetables and cheese added in the filling. It is traditionally eaten directly from the hand with the use of any utensils. There are a whole lot of accompaniments that go along with Mexican food like salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, etc,.

Fajita- is basically any grilled meat which is usually served on a tortilla and piled with 
the accompaniments and also addition of shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes and heaps of cheese. Traditionally it was a grilled beef steak but now the grilled meat can be anything from shrimps to chicken or even fish.

Burrito- A corn or wheat a tortilla which is rolled into a cylindrical shape to enclose the filling completely. The filling co

uld also include other ingredients such as cheese, shredded lettuce, and other vegetables. In traditional Mexico homes the refried beans with meat is the traditional filling of a burrito.

Chimichanga- This is a deep fried burrito and is popular in the southern america which is influenced by the Mexican cuisine. The difference between a burrito and a chimichanga is that the chimichanga is folded into a rectangle shape and deep fried as compared to a burrito which is cylindrical. It could have a variety of fillings and is accompanied with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc,.

Quesadilla- Lastly the star of my post. A quasadilla is a tortilla which is folded into a half moon with filling and cheese and then finished on a griddle. But i made a change and i used two corn tortillas. The name is derived from Spanish word queso for cheese and tortilla.

 

Cheese and shredded lettuce

 Ingredients-

Corn tortilla- 2 nos
Chicken sausages- 3 nos, cut into juliennes
Olive Oil- 2 tbsp
Onion- 1 small, sliced
Garlic- 2 cloves, chopped
Red bell pepper- 1/2, cut into juliennes
Yellow bell pepper- 1/2, cut into juliennes
Green bell pepper- 1/2, cut into juliennes
lettuce- 4 leaves, shredded
Cheese cheddar- 6 tbsp grated
Salt- to taste
Crushed black pepper- to taste
Salsa- 2 tbsp (you could substitute with tomato ketchup if you do not have salsa)

Filling

 Method-

1. In a pan heat the olive oil.
2. Saute the garlic and the onion till translucent.
3. Add the bell peppers and saute till the color becomes bright.
4. Add the sausages and mix well. 
5. Add the salsa and mix well and check for seasoning.
6. Gently heat the tortillas on the griddle on a low flame to make them warm
7. On one of the tortilla, spread half of the grated cheese. Layer with the shredded lettuce.
8. Top with the sausage and pepper mixture. cover with the remaining cheese.
9. cover this with the other tortilla.
10. Put it back on the griddle and heat through on both sides till the cheese is melted
11. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces like a pizza and serve with sour cream or salsa.

Finally on the griddle

WHOLE WHEAT CINNAMON ROLLS

This recipe was modified so that my 6 year old princess could make it herself. Hence no yeast and proofing. Super easy for kids to make on their own.

Ready to knead the dough

 Ingredients-
For the dough-
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp butter
1 cup milk
For filling-
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
For the topping-
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp milk or water

About to enter the baking

 Method-
1. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and the soft butter in a big bowl.
2. Mix the butter into the flour with your finger tips to make a sandy texture.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
4. Mix well to form a firm yet soft dough using all the milk.
5. Dust the work surface with whole wheat flour and roll the dough into a square shape about 1/2 cm thick.
6. Mix the powdered sugar with the cinnamon powder.
7. Brush with the melted butter.
8. And sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
9. Roll into a thick roll. Cut into about 1 inch rolls.
10. Arrange them loosely into a greased baking dish.
11. Bake in a 180  C oven for about 20 minutes.

After baking with the frosting

12. Till then mix the powdered sugar with the milk and mix well.
13. If it becomes too thin add more sugar. and if it is too thick then add more milk.
14. When the rolls are baked to a golden perfection, then top with the frosting while still hot.
15. Let it cool and devour.

Healthy Oats Bar- No Sugar, No Butter, No Flour.... Just healthy

Today i made healthy Oats bars with banana. And they have no added sugar, no added butter and no added flour. Just the plain and healthy goodness of oats, banana, almonds and raisins.

Oats and Banana Bar

 Ingredients:
2 large over ripe bananas, mashed till almost liquidy
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup almonds roughly chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Ready to go into the oven

 Method-
1. Mash the bananas well in a bowl till almost liquidy.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well till a very thick mixture is formed and all are mixed evenly.
3. Grease a baking tray with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.
4. Spread the mixture evenly into the tray and smooth-en the mixture with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes or till the crust becomes golden brown.
6. Take it out and let it cool before cutting.

My house is smelling of the goodness of baking banana

Noodles pakora

Hey all, i know you all are angry with me for not posting for a last two months. But here i am back with a new recipe for you all.

I made this for my princess's tiffin. Now she has grown up and in a big school. 

Ingredients-

Boiled noodles- 1/2 cup

Red bell peppers, chopped- 3 tbsp

Besan- 5 tbsp

Spring onions, chopped- 5 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Water- as per requirement

Oil- for frying

                                        

Method-

1.Put all the vegetables and the noodles in a bowl and mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients.

2. Add salt and check for seasoning.

3. Add the besan and add little water to make a thick mixture which is just coating the noodles and the vegetables mixture.

4. heat oil in a kadai.

5. Drop little spoonfuls of the noodles and besan mixture into the hot oil.

6. fry till golden brown and crispy.

7. Serve with Ketchup or mint chutney.

Note- You can add any vegetables that you like. I added red bell peppers as my princess does not like any other veggie with red bell pepper. It is just her favorite veggie.

RAW BANANA & PANEER KEBAB

HHmmm its been really looong!!!!!!!!!!!

What can i say???????????

"How u doin????"

Hope all is well at your end..........

so here goes.........

Ingredients-

1 medium boiled potato, grated

100 gms paneer grated

2 small raw banana, boiled and grated

3 tbsp chopped coriander

1 small onion chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp black pepper powder or freshly crushed

salt to taste

Oil to shallow fry

4 tbsp breadcrumbs

Method-

1. Mix all the ingredients together except the oil.

2. Add the breadcrumbs, if the mixture is little too soft.

3. Take about 50 gms of the mixture and shape into long cigars.

4. In a non-stick pan, sprinkle a few drops of oil and heat through.

5. Put the kebab cigars and cook on all sides till golden brown on all sides.

6. Have it just like that as a kebab with mint chutney. Or roll it inside thin tortias with some shredded lettuce to make kebab rolls.

SPINACH AND BREAD BAKE

Of late, my chikoo's favourite veggie is spinach... And this is good and am happy for her.
So i made these spinach and bread bake for her lunch box today morning. And the good news it was all gone, hopefully into her stomach.

So here goes......

Ingredients-

Spinach- 1/2 bunch
Onion-1, small
Tomato-1, small
Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste
Oil- 1 tbsp
Bread slices- 6
Cheese-4 tbsp, grated
Butter- to grease
Egg-2
Cream- 1 cup
Oregano=1/2 tsp

Method-

* Cut the sides of the bread slices and apply buter on one side.
* Grease 6 steel bowls or muffin tray.
* Wash and shred the spinach and chop the onion and tomatoes.
* In a pan heat the oil and saute the onion.
* Add the spinach and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Keep aside.
* In a bowl, mix the egg, cream and cheese and season with pepper and oregano.
* Place the slice of bread in a bowl with the unbuttered side towards thebowl and let it take the shape of the bowl.
* Place little of the mixture in the centre of the bread bowl.
* Do the same with the other slices.
* Pour in the cream and egg mixture into all the six bowls.
* Put the bowls in a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes or till the cream and egg mixture becomes solid and forms a golden brown crust.
* You can use any combination of veggies, but the veggies should be cooked to remove all excess moisture.

CORN AND BELL PEPPER CAKES

These are corn and bell pepper cakes which i made for my chikoo's tiffin box. I used red bell pepper because she loves it and asks me to buy it every time we go veggies shopping.

Ingredients-
2 nos boiled potatoes
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 onion
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp oil

Method-

* Chop the onion and bell peppers finely.
* Mash the potatoes without any lumps.
* In a pan heat the oil and add the onion and saute till translucent.
* Add the corn and saute till soft.
* Add the bell peppers and saute till bright in colour.
* Season with salt and pepper and add the oregano and mix well.
* Add the vegetable mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
* Add little of the breadcrumbs in to hte mixture and mix well.
* Form walnut sized balls and flatten into small cakes or patties.
* Coat with the breadcrumbs.
* Shallow fry the cakes. Or they can be even grilled on a non-stick pan without any oil.

She loved them so much that her tiffin box was empty, no little crumbs even.

You can even try these with other veggies if you like.

ALPHABET PASTA AND SPINACH FRITTATA

Ingredients-

2 nos eggs
1 tbsp grated cheese
1/2 cup boiled alphabet pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
10-12 spinch leaves, shredded
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper to taste
1 tsp oil


Method-

* Beat the eggs with salt and pepper.
* In a non-stick pan, heat oil and saute all the vegetables for about 2-3 mins.
* Add the pasta and mix well.
* Then add the beaten egg and mix well.
* Let the frittata cook on the bottom on a low flame.
* When the bottom is cooked, sprinkle the cheese on top.
* Put the pan under the top heat of an oven and let the cheese brown and the rest of the frittata cook till done.
* If u dont have an oven , then just simply turn the frittata up-side down and let the other side also cook till done.
* Cut into wedges and serve with tomato ketchup.

NOTE- If u want , u can add any vegetables that u like. My angel likes spinach n red bell peppers and onions and tomatoes, hence have added these.
And the pasta can also change according to preference.

But for sure, the kids will love it.

BANANA CAKE

Easy banana cake recipe for anyone to follow...........even my 3 year old daughter can make this. So you can imagine how easy it is.

Ingredients-

Eggs 2 nos

Sugar 1 cup

Oil 1 cup

Refined flour 1 cup

Bananas 3-4, mashed

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Method-

*Grease the cake tin with oil and dust with flour.

*Pre-heat the oven to 150 C.

*Cream the eggs and sugar with the help of a hand blender or a whisk, until light and fluffy.

*Add the oil and mix well.

*Add the mashed bananas.

*Add the baking powder to the flour and sift it.

*Add the flour into the egg mixture and fold well with a spatula.

*Pour the cake mixture into the cake tin and put in the oven for baking.

*Bake for about 30-40 mins, till a toothpick put in the center of the cake comes out clean.

*Let it cool in the cake tin for 15 mins and then de-mould.

FINALLY A POST & 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE

HELLO EVERYBODY,

finally I'm back with a bang and I'm just going to give u all a lovely instant chocolate cake recipe. I'm posting this recipe specially for my Year 1 students..............

Ingredients-

4 tbsp cake flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil
1 large coffee mug

Method-

1. mix the first 3 dry ingredients in a mug.
2. add the egg and mix well.
3. add the milk and oil and mix well but not too much.
4. cook in a microwave oven for 4-5 minutes.
5. it will start to rise and flow out of the cup.
6. keep stopping the micro for a few seconds and start again when this happens.
7. goes amazingly well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

P.S.

• What is cake flour???

In a cup add 2 tbsp cornflour and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Then fill the rest of the cup with refined flour.
Sieve this mixture 6-8 times. This is cake flour. Store and use as and when necessary.

GRILLED SMOKED CHICKEN AND CHEESE SANDWICH

I made this today for breakfast as i'm a sandwich freak. I can have sandwich any and every time of the day, unlike my hubby. I got these delicious smoked chicken breats from my butcher yesterday.

Ingredients-

1 smoked chicken breast
4 sliced of brown bread
8 slices of onion
8 slices of tomato
kraft cheese spread, about 2-3 tbsp
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Pepper to taste
Butter for greasing

Method-

* In a small bowl mix the cheese spread, mustard and pepper together till smoooth.
* Slice the smoked chicken thinly.
* Spread the cheese-mustard mixture on the bread slices.
* Assemble the filling on 2 slices and the other 2 are for the cover.
* First layer with onion slices.
* Cover the onions with smoked chicken slices.
* Top with slices of tomatoes.
* Cover the sandwiches with the remaining 2 slices of the bread.
* Grease both the top and bottom side of the sandwiches with butter lighly.
* And grill in a hot griller.
* Enjoy with a small salad or fresh fruits on the side. And a steaming hot cup of coffee.

DEVILS ON HORSEBACK

This is a dish which i remember very vividly from my childhood. My mom used to make these as our evening snacks or would even serve these as appetisers when we would have a party at our home. Me and my sister would wait for these to be left-over from the parties so that we could devour them the next day. But i modified these from my mother's recipe when i made them yesterday.

Ingredients-

200 gms chicken liver, cut into 1 inch cubes

10 bread slices

1 tbsp oregano

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

3 tbsp tomato ketchup

1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

2 tbsp coriander, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil + for frying

Method-

* Cut the sides of the bread slices and cut each slice into 4 peices.

* Deep fry the bread peices in oil and drain on kitchn paper.

* In a non-stick pan heat the olive oil.

* Add the chicken livers and sear them on all sides.

* Add the salt, pepper, oregano and mix well.

* Next add the omato ketchup and mix well and let all the spices form a coating over the livers.

* Take it off the fire and toss in the chopped coriander.

* Arrange each liver cube on to a square of bread.

* Top with little grated cheese and serve hot.

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

Please ignore the bad snap. will post anew one very soon. Long time no post coz u all know the reason. So made this and my father-in-law really loved it. N so did my mother-in-law. And now for the recipe.

Ingredients-

6 croissants
1 apple
2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
3 tsp dijon mustard
5 tbsp spring onion, chopped
4 tbsp low fat mayo
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper to taste
2 lemon wedges
6 lettuce leaves

Method-

* Chop the apple finely. Leave the skin on as it has the most nutrition and gives a crunch to the sandwich.
* Put all the ingredients in a bowl except the croissants and mix well.
* Add the lemon juice and mix well.
* Cut the croissants into half.
* Place a lettuce leaf into each croissant.
* Divide the chicken ixture equally between the croissants and spread well.
* Close and enjoy.
NOTE--I Added two slices of tomato in mine. And it gave an added punch.

LOVE FOR EGGPLANT OR AUBERGINE

My love for aubergine is so great that i have added it here to maggi. Yes u heard it right, maggi. But i cant just eat any aubergne. I cannot eat the small baby ones or the long ones. I can only eat the round huge ones.
Ingredients-

1 packet maggi instant noodles(i used chicken flavoured. you can use the masala, will taste much better)
1/2 aubergine, cut into dices
1 egg
Oil to fry
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp coriander, chopped

Method-

* In a bowl mix salt and pepper with the aubergine.
* Deep fry till just golden on outside.
* Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
* In a pan make maggi as per instructions.
* When it is 50% cooked add the aubergine and mix well.
* Cook the maggi. Just before tsking it off the fire, reduce the heat and add the egg and mix well.
* Serve hot garnished with some coriander.

TEA FLAVOURED FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients-

500 gms chicken leg and thighs, boneless, leave whole
250 ml double storng black tea
1 lemon cut into wedges
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp black pepper pwd
2 tbs really fine chopped garlic
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp mustard pwd
2 eggs
1 cup refined flour
Oil for frying

Method-

* Pour the tea n a bowl and mix the salt, sugar, lemon juice and lemon wedges.
* Add the chicken into the tea mixture and let it soak in fridge for 24 hrs.
* Next day drain the chicken into a colander and remove all liquid. Pat dry.
* In a bowl combine the bread crumbs, chili flakes, oregano, pepper, garlic, salt and mustard.
* In another bowl place the refined flour.
* In another bowl beat the eggs.
* Arrange the bowls in the order of flour, egg and bread crumb mix.
* Dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg, and then the bread crumb mix, applying pressure to ensure that the bread crumbs are coating evenly.
* Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until golden in colour or till done.
* Cut into small cubes and serve as snacks or serve whole with veggies and mashed potatoes as dinner.

DIFFERENT FRENCH TOAST

This is a very diferent recipe for french toast as this uses flour and also is not sweet but savoury. It also has onion and herbs. Hope you find this interesting.

Ingredients-

6 slices of whole wheat bread
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp coriander, chopped finely
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
3-4 tbsp refined flour
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
oil for greasing

Method-

* In a bowl, break the eggs.
* Add milk, salt, pepper, onion, coriander, and flour.
* Whisk well to make a smooth and thin batter.
* Cut the sides of the bread slices.
* Dip a slice in the egg batter and cover both sides.
* Heat a non-stick pan or tawa.
* Sprinkle some oil and place the batter dipped bread on it.
* Let it turn a golden brown on one side and then flip over to the other side.
* When golden brown, remove and serve hot.
* If you are serving these for breakfast , then serve them whole or cut diagonally.
* If you are serving them as snacks, then cut the bread into small desired shapes, like triangles or you can even use different cookie cutters, and then dip in the batter and shallow fry.
* If you cut the bread into different shapes with a cookie cutter, then they also make interesting snacks for kids.