Feb 08

Chicken and cheese quesadillas

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My world famous Mexican paste, (oh I meant my household famous mexican paste) is quite a handy sauce to have in your freezer. I made some a while back and used it to make Mexican rice then. Popped the leftovers in the freezer and brought it out for a perfect Sunday meal

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Had some store bought tortillas in the pantry, so decided its time for Quesadillas. Some chicken cooked in the Mexican red paste with some gooey Mozzarella cheese was the stuffing for the Quesadillas. With a dipping of sour cream sauce and spicy salsa, the Quesadillas were gobbled down with some chilled beer. Now I can barely keep my eyes open and all set for my afternoon snooze.

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Mexican Red Paste

1 big red capsicum

3-4 big tomatoes

10-12 garlic flakes

4-5 dried red chillies

1) Chop all the above ingredients and add it to the pan with a little oil

2) Cook on high heat till soft and slightly charred though be careful not to burn it

3) When cool blitz it in the mixer to a fine paste adding little water if necessary

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Tomato Salsa

5 roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 chopped green chillies
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

1)  Roast tomatoes till skin is little blackish over the gas and remove skin.
2)  Chop 2 tomatoes and puree the other 3 in a mixer
3)   Heat oil, add chopped onions and green chillies. Cook till onions turn soft.
4)  Add all other ingredients and cook for 2 mins. Do not cook further. Serve chilled.

Sour Cream

50 gm fresh cream
1 ½ cup curd – hung and dry
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt

1)  Whip hung curd till smooth
2)  Gradually add cream till get a soft dropping consistency. Don’t let it become too thin
3)   Add salt and lemon juice. You can also add chopped dill. Serve chilled

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Quesadillas

6 store bought tortillas

1/2 kg boneless chicken

4-5 tbsp mexican red paste

1 big chopped onion

grated Mozzarella cheese

olive oil

chopped coriander

1) Heat oil in the pan and sauté some onions.

2) Add the chicken and paste and some salt. Cook till chicken is tender and excess water is dried out.

lightly fry the tortillas with little oil on the pan. Garnish with chopped coriander

3) lightly toast the tortillas in a pan

4) Remove them on the plate. Take one tortilla and spread the chicken mix all over it. Grate lots of cheese. Remember to leave 1/2 inch empty around the borders as the mix will spread when cooked.

5) Top with another tortillas and put it on a greased pan.

6) when crisp, flip and cook the other side

7) Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Feb 08

Hyderabadi Dum Baingan and Tomato Saar

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An amalgamation of simple home cooked South Indian dishes. Hyderabadi baingan and Mangalorean tomato saar served with steamed rice.

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The Baingan is spicy and tangy with a pickle like flavour to it. The recipe is courtesy veg recipes of India and I am a big fan of Dassana’s cooking.

The tomato saar is my moms recipe and its a super simple curry to enjoy with some steaming hot rice. Have some pickle or papad on the side and you don’t really need anything else.

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HYDERABADI DUM BAINGAN

For the curry base:

10-12 small brinjals
½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
salt to taste
4 tbsp oil

For the masala paste:
3-4 dry red chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
½ or tsp black pepper – make it to 1 tsp for a much more spicier dish
2-3 green cardamom/hari elaichi
2 inch cinnamom stick/dal chini
3-4 cloves/laung
1 small bay leaf/tej patta
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 large onion, chopped
1 inch ginger/adrak, chopped
5-6 garlic/lahsun, chopped

for garnish:
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves/dhania patta

Instructions
1) slit the small brinjals without disjoining them.
2) heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the brinjals till they are half cooked. remove and keep aside.
3) heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add all the dry spices except for onions, ginger and garlic. fry the spices till they become aromatic.
cool
4) grind the spices with chopped onions, garlic and ginger with the vinegar. add some water if the mixture is difficult to grind. make a smooth paste.
5) heat 1 tbsp oil. add the ground masala paste.
6) add turmeric and fry the masala for 4-5 minutes on a low flame.
add ¼ cup hot water.
7) cook until the water evaporates and the oil separates from the masala.
8) add the fried brinjals in the gravy. add salt.
9) stir carefully. cover tightly and cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes.
serve dum ke baingan hot garnished with coriander leaves.

(reproduced from www.vegrecipesofindia.com)

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TOMATO SAAR

Ingredients

4-5 tomatoes – blanch and peel skin

1 chopped onion

1 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 karipatta

4 dried Kashmiri red chillies

2-3 smashed garlic

2 tbsp rasam powder

chopped coriander

1) Purée 4-5 skinless tomatoes (I boil till the skin splits and peel it off)

2) In a vessel, heat oil, add mustard seeds, karipatta, dried red Kashmiri chillies, smashed whole garlic flakes, chopped onion. Fry it till golden.

3) Then add the purée, salt, 1 cup water and a heaped tbsp of rasam powder (u can add chilli powder also if u like it spicy).

4) Bring it to a boil and cook on sim for 5 mins. Adjust seasoning and consistency. Add more water if its thick.

5) Add chopped coriander leaves a minute before u shut the gas.

Feb 06

Berry salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette

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I recently bought some goose berries from the local vendor, at least I thought they were goose berries. While researching some recipes, I realised that they are not called gooseberries but have multiple names Cape gooseberry (South Africa), Inca berry, Aztec berry, golden berry, giant ground cherry, African ground cherry, Peruvian groundcherry, Peruvian cherry, pok pok (Madagascar), poha (Hawaii), ras bhari(India), aguaymanto (Peru), uvilla (Ecuador), uchuva (Colombia), harankash (Egypt), amour en cage (France, French for love in a cage), and Physalis (United Kingdom).

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Golden berries are also categorised as super foods for their various healing properties – Antioxidant effects, Cancer protective effects, Counters bacteria, Kidney protective effects, Liver protective effects, Lowers fever, Lowers blood sugar, Modulates immune function, Reduces inflammation, Weight loss benefits.

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Made a delicious salad for my husbands lunch box and usually I am not a salad person but after the taste test, kept some aside for breakfast. Such a wonderful burst of flavours, sweet from the vinaigrette, tart from the berries and salty from the goats cheese. Delicious!!

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Ingredients

5 sliced big strawberries

10 diced golden berries

1/4 cup shredded lettuce

1 tomato sliced without the seeds

goats cheese

4-5 mint leaves

Vinaigrette

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

3/4 tsp whole grain mustard

3-4 tbsp olive oil

Mix the ingredients under vinaigrette and drizzle over the chopped berries, lettuce, tomatoes, mint and goats cheese. Enjoy

Feb 04

Cognac infused truffles with fig and walnut

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My mind seems to be moving towards romantic, intimate dishes this week. What could be the reason I wonder? 🙂

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I had soaked some figs in Cognac for my fig sauce in which I had pan seared chicken last night. I had some figs left over, and wanted to make a dessert with it.

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Read up about truffles and wondered why I never bothered to make them before. Quite easy and so yumm. Made the adult version, infused with cognac, and did quite a bit of taste tests so now grinning like a happy cow.

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Now with Figs which is considered an aphrodisiac and chocolate to give it a double shot, just added liquor to seal the deal. Some light reading ;-p and a few of the truffles to savour is a perfect Valentine pick me up while you wait for your date.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped Dark Chocolate

1 pkt Amul cream

2 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp cognac

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped dried figs (I used the ones I had soaked overnight in cognac as had some leftover, you can use without soaking too)

1) In a double boiler/microwave, heat cream and butter and add the chopped chocolate. Without overheating, melt and mix the chocolate, cream and butter well.

2) Add the cognac and the figs and walnut.

3) pour into a greased dish and keep it in the fridge for an hr or till its set

4) cut out squares once the mix is set and form little balls quickly

5) u can decorate as per preference – i used chopped almonds, chopped pistachios, coloured sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate powder. Use your creativity to decorate with whatever you please

6) Keep in the fridge for minimum 4 hrs before serving. Keep in airtight box and in fridge.

Feb 03

Pan Seared Chicken in a Drunken Fig Sauce

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I am part of a group of like minded foodies who interact on a daily basis about all things Food. Recently we decided to challenge ourselves by working on a common ingredient and presenting different dishes with it. With Valentine fast approaching, we agreed on an ingredient that is considered an aphrodisiac too. FIGS.

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Figs, whose leaves became clothing in the biblical story of Adam and Eve are the ultimate paradox in sensual food; their many seeds represent fertility while their leaves are associated with modesty. Curvy temptress Cleopatra loved figs and when she decided to take her own life they were a part of her last luxurious meal. Also she had the cobra that she used to poison herself sent to her hidden in a basket of figs. The erotically shaped fig has been associated with sexuality in almost every culture. In Ancient Greece, where they were believed to be a symbol of love, the arrival of a new fig crop elicited a copulatory ritual. Figs have been believed to increase fertility since ancient times, and now we have scientific evidence. Figs contain a lot of iron and are filled with antioxidants, flavonoids, fiber and potassium, which are important for healthy eggs and ovulation.

A romantic meal that presents as a wonderful gourmet dish, perfect for date night. Here I have used dried figs in the sauce and served the chicken on a bed of wilted garlic spinach, smoked portobellos and mashed potatoes.

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FIG SAUCE

3/4 cup chopped dried figs

1 cup cognac

1 chopped onion

1 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1″ cinnamon

2 sprigs thyme

4 chopped garlic

3 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp maida

Pinch of salt

CHICKEN

6 pcs chicken

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

salt

1 tsp paprika powder

olive oil

1) soak the figs in cognac overnight. Add the bay leaf and cinnamon.

2) marinate the chicken for 2 hrs in all ingredients mentioned under chicken.

3) Add oil in the pan and when its hot add the chicken. Sear on high on both sides for a couple of minutes till you get a good colour. Lower gas and cover and cook till chicken is nearly ready. Remove the pieces and keep aside

4) in the same pan, with the leftover oil, add the onions and garlic and sauté them

5) when pink, add the maida and mix well. Add the stock. bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 mins.

6) add the soaked figs and 2 tbsp of the cognac and cook till it become tender. If the sauce is drying out add little more stock/water

7) add the salt, balsamic vinegar and thyme. Cook for a minute. Shut gas and let it cool

8) Strain the sauce and keep aside

9) at the time of serving, add some leftover cognac to the same pan in which the sauce was cooked. Deglazed it and then add the chicken and few tbsp of the fig sauce. Gave it a good mix and shut the gas when the chicken is well coated in the sauce.

WILTED GARLIC SPINACH

1 bunch cut spinach

5 sliced garlic

salt

oliveoil/butter

1) heat oil/butter in a pan, add the garlic and let it become lightly golden.

2) add the spinach and cook till wilted and the rawness goes out. Dry out excess water

3) Season with salt and pepper

MASH POTATOES

5 boiled potatoes

1-2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp hot milk

salt

1) Mash the potatoes and pass it through a sieve to remove lumps

2) mix everything else and season well

SMOKED PORTOBELLOS

10 portobello mushrooms

2 tbsp spiced garlic butter (readymade or butter mixed with minced garlic, hebs and chilli flakes)

3 cheese cubes

olive oil

1) Rub olive oil on the mushrooms. stick a fork and char over the gas till emits aroma

2) remove the stalks and stuff the caps with spiced garlic butter

3) microwave for 7 mins at 600

4) top with a piece of cheese and microwave again for 1 minute or till cheese melts.

Feb 02

Strawberry Decadence

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14th February changed for us around 9 years ago. From being Valentines Day to being the birth of our daughter. Ever since we rarely celebrate Valentines as the focus is on our daughter Inaya.

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My neighbour recently gifted me a bag of humongous strawberries and was wondering what to do with it. Since I have ventured into food in a big way, thought of making a few romance centric dishes to commemorate Valentines Day.

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The first one is Strawberry Decadence. A mix between strawberry cheesecake and strawberries and cream. A sprinkle of chocolate powder and a sticky sweet kick of marshmallows makes it an interesting dessert. Super easy and apt for the special day.

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Ingredients

!/2 tin condensed milk

1 lime – juiced

1 tsp vanilla essence / !/2 tsp extract

150 gms cream cheese

1/2 pkt thick amul cream

12 big chopped strawberries + 1 for decoration

1 tsp powdered chocolate

4 chopped marshmallows (optional)

1) blend the condensed milk and lime juice well in a mixer

2) add the vanilla extract and strawberries and blend once more

3) Add cream cheese

4) whip the cream (use only the thick part, discard the liquid) in a separate bowl and then fold the strawberry cream cheese mixture into it

5) Pour into glasses or bowls and refrigerate till serving time

6) At serving time, decorate with chocolate powder and a sliced strawberry piece.

Recipe inspired by Ina Parmaan

Jan 30

Rustic almond and chocolate chunk Biscotti

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I enjoy my evening tea and when the clock strikes 5, my senses start craving for a hot cup of tea. Yesterday a virtual friend Sarika Shah pinged me and mentioned that she would be in the vicinity. Now for the uninitiated, I have made many friends  in the virtual land of Facebook. Being a member of various foodie communities, I have got the opportunity to befriend many like minded foodie friends. Have been lucky to meet some of them recently and hoping to meet many more in the near future

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Now a foodie friend deserves something special to welcome her. Couldn’t go elaborate, so decided to attempt a recipe I had saved from Epicurious a while back. Almond and chocolate chunk biscotti. So set to work in the morning, a little nervous, as this was my first attempt. The problem is that my maid has gone AWOL and I have a lot of running around to do. Did all the prep and by the time I got to baking, it was time to pick up my son. Now the biscotti requires 2 bakes. I did the first and unfortunately resorted to some shortcuts as had to run. When I came back and started slicing the logs, it started to disintegrate as it had not cooked enough on the inside. Oh god, nearly was in tears. But no option so I put it in for the second bake. This time I let it cool properly before doing anything further.

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Well the end result is a rustic looking biscotti but super yum. Polished off all the crumbs with an early vanilla and cinnamon tea that I had recently bought from Coorg, sweetened with some leftover caramel glass. Now just waiting for her to come. Hope she likes it.

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Have pasted the recipe from Epicurious for you

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (155 g) almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

7 ounces (200 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) chunks

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking powder.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until the mixture thickens and holds its shape, about 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then mix in the almonds and chocolate.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half. Using dampened hands, shape each half into a log 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Set the logs lengthwise on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spacing them apart. Dampen your hands and smooth the surface of the logs.

Bake, rotating the baking sheet midway through baking, until the logs are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. (They will flatten out during baking.) Remove the baking sheet from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the logs to a cutting board. With a serrated bread knife, cut each log diagonally into slices 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. Place the cookies, cut sides up, in a single layer on the baking sheet. (If necessary, use an additional baking sheet.) Bake until the biscotti are firm, about 20 minutes, flipping them midway through baking. Let cool completely; they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.

The biscotti will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

You can substitute 1 1/2 cups (240 g) chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate, if you like, although I prefer the irregularity of chocolate chunks in these cookies.

Jan 28

Mexican Rice

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Long ago, I read this recipe in a magazine. Don’t remember which – Woman’s Era, Caravan. Yeah my mom still subscribes to them. Now this is before I got into cooking. I had the habit of writing recipes in a long note book and saving it for a rainy day.

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A few years back, this rainy day did come and I decided to attempt this dish. Oh My, the Sun was shining suddenly. It had such a wonderful flavour and you really don’t need anything to accompany it. An entrant in most of my party menus and one of my aunts still asks me to make it when she visits.

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Some modifications later, this masala paste is something I make often and freeze. (Shelf life in freezer – about a month) Have no idea how Mexican it really is, but I call it my Mexican red paste. I use it to make rice like i have today. Sometimes I keep it simple and sometimes I add chopped sausages or sautéed chicken or prawns. (In the picture above there is some sautéed chicken in the blue bowl to mix in later)

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I use this paste to cook my chicken which I then stuff in different Mexican dishes like Tacos, Quesadillas, Wraps, etc. I am a capsicum hater, Yes i declared it in public, but this recipe is the only one where  I will allow Capsicum to enter my kitchen. Hope u like it

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Ingredients

1 big red capsicum,

4 tomatoes,

4 dry Kashmiri red chilies (Adjust as per spice preference)

10-15 garlic,

1 sliced onion,

salt,

Olive oil,

1 glass washed and soaked rice,

2 glasses water

1) Chop tomatoes, capsicum, garlic. Big pieces are fine
2) sauté tomatoes, capsicum, garlic and red chillies together in olive oil in high flame. Keep the flame high and keep mixing.
3) the mix needs to char a bit but be careful not to burn it.
4) blend it in a mixer with minimum water. The extra leftover paste, you can freeze if you wish.
5) heat olive oil in a vessel and sauté onions
6) add 3 tbsp of the Mexican paste and washed rice
7) fry it for some time, add salt. (I also add a cube or two of maggi masala/chicken cubes-Optional)
8) add the water and cover the lid. Keep on high flame
8) when it comes to a boil then lower the gas and let it cook for 15 minutes. Shut the gas. Keep it covered for 5 more minutes after shutting the gas.

Jan 28

White Forest Fudge – Version 2

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In my previous post, i told you about the dinner invitation and my plan the white forest fudge. So leisurely made the fudge and set it. Did a photo shoot too. Then decided to give my husband a taste and he declared it was too sweet. My kids took a bite and absolutely adored it. Now I was in a fix. What if my guests didn’t enjoy it because of its sweetness. Oh God, will it be a flop.

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Racked my brains, called up Nidhi (my foodie bestie) and discussed it with her. As usual her advice was right on the mark. Was running super late but had to get this done, quickly opened the Monaco biscuits and blitzed them in the mixer with butter, chopped some walnuts, melted the already set fudge. Phew looks like it can be modidifed in time. Layered the dish with the salted biscuit base, set it in the freezer for half hr, then poured the semi melted fudge on it and topped with chopped walnuts. Set it in the fridge till we we could get ready for the party. Some more setting time at the guests house and finally was ecstatic that everyone loved it at the party.

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When the host said, I wish you had brought some of the original pieces, i just gave my hubby a look. Well alls well that  ends well.

PS – saved some of the original fudge for my brats.

Ingredients

500 gms white chocolate

300 gms condensed milk

1/2 cup dried cranberries

15 oreo biscuits (remove vanilla filling to avoid extra sweetness)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 packets of Monaco Biscuit (or any salted biscuit

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 big tbsp butter

1) line a rectangular bowl with baking paper and grease it. Blitz the Monaco biscuits with butter in a mixer to make a fine powder. Layer the bowl with the biscuit powder and keep in the fridge.

2) In a double boiler (heat water in a vessel, when it boils put a slightly bigger vessel on top of it, the chocolate needs to melt in the top vessel. This is the double boiler method. Water should not come in contact with the top vessel, the chocolate should only cook with the steam of the boiling  water in the bottom vessel)

3) when it melts, add the vanilla extract and salt, mix well. Be careful not to get the chocolate too hot. You can remove from heat if u feel its getting too hot.

4) Add the condensed milk and mix well. It will start to solidify. Work quickly. Add the halved cranberries and quartered oreos. Mix well

5) Pour into the bowl and flatten it out. Top with the chopped walnuts. Let it cool and refridgerate for minimum 2 hrs

6) cut into square and enjoy.

Jan 28

White forest Fudge

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We were recently invited over for dinner to my husband’s office colleagues house. I was keen on taking something with me but couldn’t afford to do anything elaborate. My maid was away at her village and elaborate translates to a lot of prep work and clean up post cooking.

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An easy dessert, that uses minimal ingredients but still is delicious and presents well is Fudge. There are so many variations you can experiment once you have the basic concept of fudge at hand. I had made dark chocolate and nuts fudge twice before and decided to try the white chocolate that I had picked up from my recent visit to Coorg. A packet of dried cranberries and the ever present Oreo biscuits were calling out to me from the pantry. Put them together and made a delicious fudge. It comes with a warning, that it tends to be quite sweet but a guaranteed super hit with the kids.

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Ingredients

500 gms white chocolate

300 gms condensed milk

1/2 cup dried cranberries

15 oreo biscuits (remove vanilla filling to avoid extra sweetness)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1) line a rectangular bowl with baking paper and grease it.

2) In a double boiler (heat water in a vessel, when it boils put a slightly bigger vessel on top of it, the chocolate needs to melt in the top vessel. This is the double boiler method. Water should not come in contact with the top vessel, the chocolate should only cook with the steam of the boiling  water in the bottom vessel)

3) when it melts, add the vanilla extract and salt, mix well. Be careful not to get the chocolate too hot. You can remove from heat if u feel its getting too hot.

4) Add the condensed milk and mix well. It will start to solidify. Add the halved cranberries and quartered oreos. Mix well

5) Pour into the bowl and flatten it out. Let it cool and refridgerate for minimum 2 hrs

6) cut into square and enjoy.

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