Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

As a kid I was always amazed at this cake. How did they make the pineapple fit into the cake? Did they push it down and then burn the top? If they did then why dint it fall off when you turned it over? Anyway childhood has passed and all things magical are now just like that show – ‘Great magic tricks revealed’ (Which I hate by the way – I think they’re killing the enigma!). So yeah... I finally figured it out. They lay out the pineapple, pour the cake batter in and bake it. Finally, they filp it over – Hence Upside-Down cake. Should have paid more attention to the linguistics, mind you … would have figured it out much much earlier. But when you’re young and starry eyed, life is just so so much more fun. (The previous sentence in no way implies I’m an old hag now…just so you know … :P)

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30-35 mins

Serves: 8 (or 4 if you’re greedy)

What you need:

60 gms Butter, softened
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp Brown sugar
4 slices of canned Pineapple rings (drained and juice reserved)
For the sponge:
½ cup Butter, softened
½ cup Sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups Flour
2½ tsp Baking powder
A pinch of salt
7in/18cm Cake pan (deep)

What to do:

Lightly butter the pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and sugar and spread evenly over the parchment paper. Arrange the drained pineapple rings on top of the butter and sugar mixture. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C.

To make the sponge, cream butter and sugar. Toss in the beaten eggs. Beat for 2 mins. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix till just incorporated. Cut and fold technique. Spoon the batter on top of the pineapple rings and level the surface. Bake in the preheated over for 30-35 mins until the cake is well risen and springy to the touch. Invert the cake onto a warmed serving platter and serve at once.

P.S. That's my beautiful Brown sugar...mmm....

Insalata Caprese (Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato Salad)

I know it’s not summer and this is definitely a summer salad. But on a dreary winter day like today, the colors sure cheer me up. This is such a simple salad but tastes heavenly. The creaminess of the bocconcini is well worth the visit to a gourmet store. (By the way, the white colour and creaminess is because it’s made from buffalo milk.) But if you can’t stomach the thought, then fresh mozzarella is fine as well. Like I was saying…chase the winter blues away with some red, white and green!

Insalata Caprese
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 6

What you need:
6 medium, ripe Tomatoes
4 fresh small Mozzarella (Bocconcini) balls
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
4 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
Handful of shredded Basil leaves
Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

What to do:
Slice tomatoes thickly. Slice mozzarella thinly and interleave with tomato slices and basil leaves. Combine lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well using a wire whick. Drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle with shreds of basil leaves and pepper. Serve!


P.S. This salad is best served freshly made. Tomatoes at room temperature bring out their flavor.

Perfectly Poached Eggs

I’ve stayed away from poaching eggs. It’s an art and a science apparently, not for mere mortals. The regular cook in the kitchen need be satisfied with scrambled eggs, fried eggs, boiled eggs or omelets. But Poached eggs were to be left to a fancy chef who turned it out ala Eggs Benedict!  Well no more I said and attempted to poach an egg (remember Julie in ‘Julie and Julia’ J) To be honest, the first attempt was a birds nest and I quickly gobbled it down to erase any photo evidence. The second one however was definitely palatable. The proof of the pudding or the poaching is for all to see. Sunday morning brekkie anyone?

How to Poach an Egg (Courtesy: Wiki Info)

Step1: Set a saucepan to boil that is about two-thirds full of water. Milk can also be used for a richer taste.

Step 2: Add a dash of white vinegar (while it's not absolutely vital, it helps the egg's appearance - the vinegar coagulates the egg white turning it into a perfectly poached egg). The fresher the eggs, the better they poach. An egg straight from the chicken will poach without any need for vinegar.

Step 3: Crack an egg into a ramekin, small bowl or soup ladle.

Step 4: Spin the boiling water to cool down the water before you drop in the egg. You will want to bring the water to a temperature of about 160-180ºF (71-82ºC).

Step 5: Carefully lower or drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. Make sure that you do not drop the egg into boiling water (100ºC/212ºF), as this will toughen the eggs and make them unpalatable.

Step 6: Wait 3-4 minutes until cooked.

Step 7: Remove with a slotted spoon. Work quickly to transfer each egg onto the plate, letting excess water drip back into the saucepan. Poached eggs should be served as soon as they are pulled from the water. Poached eggs get cold quickly, and cold poached eggs are decidedly less than perfect.

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

We generally buy our seafood fresh from the local market and nothing can really beat the taste of the sea. However there is no shame opening up a can of tuna for a quick weekday meal. Considering the fish was a favorite of the ancient Phoenicians (And the Greeks and Romans loved it as well)…it’s already got a good reputation. With all the Omega3 that doctors keep saying we need to incorporate into our diet, this fish is heart healthy! I found this recipe in my cooking bible – The Family Circle Cooking Encyclopedia.  So there’s really no going wrong. The co-resident and I give this one a thumbs-up! So does Muesli, who thought the can of tuna was for her… :)

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:
500 gms Pasta
¼ cup Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
225 gm Tuna drained
60 gms Butter
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp chopped Capers
½ tsp chopped Chilli

What to do:
Place pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until just tender.
Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and chilli, cook 1 min. Add tuna and cook 2 mins longer. Add butter lemon juice and capers, stir into tuna and cook on low until heated through. Drain pasta, add to sauce and mix to combine. Serve hot.

Muesli and my new Canon 500D

I know this has nothing to do with food... but considering I just upgraded from my old kodak of 5 years ( I know I know.. tsk tsk.. practically a fossil) I can't help but gloat. No food pics on this post.. just one of my darling baby Muesli. (Yes, I named my cat after cereal! But what do you expect from a foodie?!) Hopefully I can turn out some better pictures with this one... Wish me luck!

Lemon Rice (Chitranna)

This post is for ‘someone’ who asked me recently, whether I had locked my kitchen up as he dint see any new posts on the blog :P Considering that ‘someone’ is also a Vegetarian and South Indian … this recipe should appeal to him. Lemon Rice is something that mom made in a jiffy for breakfast IF – she was out of time or there was rice leftover from last night’s dinner. So as a teenager I used to ho and hum when I saw lemon rice on my plate. But now I completely understand the lemon rice logic – it’s a healthy, simple, no wastage dish. Not to mention for all the ho-ing and hum-ing it was and is delicious!

Lemon Rice

Prep time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

What you need:
1 ½ cups Rice (uncooked) / 2 ½ cups cooked Rice
1 Onion sliced
1 Lemon (Juice of)
3-4 green Chilies
½ tsp Channa Dal
½ tsp Urd Dal
½ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Ginger paste
½ tsp Mustard seeds
4 tsps Oil
6-7 Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Handful of peanuts
Grated coconut to Garnish

What to do:
Deep fry peanuts, keep aside. Cook rice and fluff out rice to cool and separate grains.
In a wok heat 4 tsps of Oil, Add mustard seeds, urd and channa dal and fry till mustard splutters. Add sliced onions and slit chilies and sauté till soft and transparent. Put in ginger and fry for a min. Finally add in turmeric and salt. Pour this mixture over the rice and mix well to incorporate the yellow color evenly. Mix lemon juice in, toss in the peanuts and garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot!

Note: Mixing the peanuts in the end keeps them crunchy to the bite.

Spinach and Corn Quiche

This quiche recipe is for all the non-meat eaters who obviously ignored my Bacon and Mushroom Quiche recipe. This recipe is also for everyone who likes a nice chewy cheesy quiche. So basically this recipe is for everyone :) Spinach and Corn is one of those excellent combinations that you can’t go wrong with. The colors compliment each other as well – yellow and green. I’ve told you all about quiches before – savory pastry with a filling of your choice. If you buy ready pastry shells then you can roll out quiches in minutes. Perfect for a weekday!

Spinach and Corn Quiche

Baking time: 25 mins + 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
What you need:
For Pastry
1 cup plain Flour
75 gms Butter, chopped
Large pinch of salt
Water

For Filling
2 cups blanched and chopped Spinach leaves
1 cup crumbled fresh Cottage Cheese
3/4th cup Sweet Corn kernels
3/4th cup Milk
2 Tbsp Cream
1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
½ tsp dried Oregano
2 Tbsps Butter
Salt and Pepper
What to do:

To Make Pastry: Place flour and butter in a cold bowl. Rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add ice cold water (2-3 Tbsp) and bring the misture together. Turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead mixture gently to form smooth dough. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to moderately hot 210ºC.

Roll Pastry on a flour board large enough to fit a 9 inch round loose bottomed flan tin. Ease pastry into tin. Trim edge with a sharp knife. Cut a sheet of baking paper large enough to cover pastry lined tin. Place paper over pastry; spread a layer of dried beans or rice evenly over paper. Bake for 15 mins, remove paper and beans; bake for another 10 mins or until pastry case is lightly browned; Remove and cool. Preheat oven to 230 ºC for the next stage.

To make Filling: Heat the butter in a pan, add corn and sauté for 1 minute. Dissolve the cornflour in the milk and add this to the mixture. Cook till the mixture thickens. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

Spread the spinach corn mixture over the baked pastry in the pie dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 mins or until mixture becomes firm. Serve hot!

Panchamrutam - The five Nectars

South Indian festivals are an excuse to indulge in food of the sweet and heavy kind. One of the staples is ‘Panchamrutam’ which means the five nectars. This is prepared as a festive offering and is a medley of all things sweet! It’s a sugar high to say the least and considering this is what we offer our Gods they must be getting off on the sugar buzz! Anyway there are no fixed five ingredients though Milk, Curd, Honey, Ghee, Fruits (esp bananas), Coconut and Sugar are interchangeable. My recipe is almost a fruit salad, but with a holy twist! Bless you…

Panchamrutam

Prep time: 10 mins

Serves: 10 -12

What you need:

2 Bananas

1 Apple

2 Guava

1 Sweet Lime (peeled and segmented)

Handful of Black Grapes

Half a Pomegranate (peeled and separated)

500 gms Thick Curd

250ml Milk

2 Tbsp Ghee

1 Tbsp Honey

5 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

What to do:

Wash and dice the apples, guava and Bananas. Peel the Sweet lime and segment it. Remove seeds and transparent layer as well. Toss into a big bowl. Add the curd, milk, honey, ghee and sugar. Stir to incorporate without mushing up the fruit. Add the Grapes and Pomegranate. Refrigerate. Before serving garnish with extra Pomegranate seeds. Mmmmm…..

Note: To segment Sweet Limes – Cut off a thin slice from the top and bottom. Make Incisions in the outer skin from top to bottom in 4-5 places. Now you can peel the outer skin easily. Next separate the segments. Make an incision on the back of each segment and pry open. Remove seeds. Break away the pulp from the skin in 4 pieces.

Chicken Steak with Mushrooms in a Brown Sauce

This is the kind of steak I remember eating as a kid, when there were no fancy restaurants in Bangalore and Chicken pepper steak was a special treat. You will still get this type of food in a Tiffany’s or Juke Box, but other restaurants have upgraded to more sophisticated versions. I found this recipe on a homely site - wholesome food, no pretence. It sounded very similar to the days of yore, so I gave it a shot and here’s the result. (Sorry for the pictures, I was too hungry and dint bother about appropriate lighting!) The brown sauce is great, I salted it a bit too much though. So just add your seasoning at the end. And don’t forget to go back in time to some childhood foods you can never forget! Happy Reminiscing!

Chicken Steak with Mushrooms in Brown Sauce

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

 

4 X 200 gms Chicken breast pieces

Marinade:

1/2 tsp crushed Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Mustard paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Garlic paste

2 Tbsp Oil

For Brown Sauce:

1 Tbsp Oil

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Onion chopped

1 Tbsp Flour

1/2 tsp White pepper

1 Cup Chicken Stock (1/2 chicken cube in 1 cup water)

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Onion sliced

8 pieces Mushrooms

What to do:

Wrap the meat piece in a wet tea towel and flatten with a hammer. Marinate the meat by rubbing black pepper, salt mustard, garlic paste and Worcestershire sauce on each meat piece.

To make Brown Sauce: In a pan add 1 Tbsp Butter and add a little oil. Add chopped onions and lightly brown. Add flour, white pepper, salt and chicken stock. Add burnt sugar syrup - 1 Tbsp.

To make Fried Onions: In a separate frying pan, add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp oil. Add sliced onions and 1 Tbsp brown sugar and sauté. Add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce.

To cook the Meat: In another grill/frying pan, add 2 tbs of Oil and add the meat. While frying drizzle a little Worcestershire sauce. Whilst cooking prick the meat with the knife. Once the steaks are nearly cooked add the brown sauce over the steaks. Add sliced mushrooms. Add a little freshly ground pepper. Serve with fried onions and mashed potatoes.

Note: To make Burnt sugar: take an old saucepan, take 1 tsp sugar and let it burn, once it burns add 1/2 cup water and let it cook for another 2-3 mins

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes

First of all I would like to apologize to my beloved food – The Egg. I’m surprised I haven’t done a post on it as yet! Eggs are so versatile and so tasty and kind of a staple in the diet, so it’s easy to overlook them. Egg whites are often considered the perfect source of protein because the body uses 100 percent of the nutrients they provide. Plus they are free of saturated fats and excess carbohydrates. The egg yolk (the best part according to me) is jam packed with nutrients. There is a controversy with the cholesterol bit, but the doctors are changing their stance now to saying its OK to have about 4 yolks in a week. So there, we’ve tackled that bit. Remember when we were kids and we had half boiled eggs in a cup? Well, this is the more sophisticated adult version. According to me, serving anything in a mini ramekin is très chic :)

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

4 Eggs

4 Tbsp chopped skinned Tomatoes

8 Tbsp Double Cream

4 x 150ml Ramekins

Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

Spoon 1 Tbsp of cream into each ramekin, then break and egg into each one, taking care not to break the yolks. Season, and then top each egg with another tablespoon of cream and 1 tablespoon each of chopped skinned tomatoes. Sit the ramekins in a roasting tin, and pour hot water to come just halfway up their sides. Cover the roasting tin with foil, and then carefully slide into a preheated oven (180°C/350°F/Gas4). Cook for about 15 mins and serve immediately.

Fusili in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce

I’ve already extolled the virtues of mushrooms in another blog post, so it would be a waste of space to do it here. So let’s talk about the much maligned garlic. People shy away from garlic-flavored-anything cause of the strong smell. Even a big wad of gum can’t get rid of it easily. But if you knew that garlic is fantastic for a healthy heart and even ups your immunity, you would probably give it a second chance. I on the other hand, am a lover of garlic. Give me stinky garlicky nosh every day. :) Actually this isn’t a stinky dish at all. It’s so earthy and comforting that it reminds you of rain on a hot summer day. Poetic huh? The fusili on the other hand adds the ‘twist’ to the tale. The End.

Fusili in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

200 gms Mushrooms (diced)

10 cloves of Garlic (chopped)

11/2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups Milk

2 Tbsp Flour

50 gms Cheddar Cheese (grated)

1 Tbsp mixed herbs (oregano, parsley etc.)

Salt and Pepper

350 gms Fusili

Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated to serve)

What to do:

Heat oil; add butter let it sizzle. Toss in the garlic; sauté but don’t brown. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté for 2 mins. Coat the mushrooms with flour; stir till incorporated. Slowly add in 1 cup milk; stir to ensure no lumps. Simmer for 2 mins. The sauce will thicken. Add the remaining milk and stir till the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Toss in the herbs, seasoning and grated cheese. Stir till smooth and glossy. In the meantime bring a big pot of salted water to the boil. Toss in pasta and cook till al dente. (or according to instructions on the packet). Reserve some liquid and drain the pasta. Mix with the mushroom sauce. Add some reserved liquid to get the desired consistency. Serve hot garnished with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Earthy!

Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise

Bolognaise Sauce is a thick meat and tomato sauce served with pasta (usually spaghetti), originally from the city of Bologna in Northern Italy. The sauce is also known as Ragũ and traditionally contains chopped ham, beef, lean pork, chicken livers, several vegetables and white wine. The recipe I have is a special hand crafted one. (So let’s put it this way…I’ve tweaked the recipe to suit what was there at home and it turned out just fine). My star ingredient was the humble chicken (substituting the ham, beef and pork). I deserve credit for making the bolognaise sauce friendly for people who don’t eat red meat :)

Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

What you need:

400 gms Chicken Mince

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Onions (finely chopped)

2 Carrots (diced small)

8 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1 Celery Stem (finely chopped)

4 Tomatoes (finely chopped)

8 Tbsp Tomato Puree

2 Tbsp Ketchup

2 tsps Chili flakes

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Parsley

400 gms Spaghetti

Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated to serve)

Salt and Pepper

What to do:

Heat oil add garlic and then onion, carrot, celery and chili flakes. Saute well but don’t let the onions brown. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 mins. Add Chicken mince and sauté for 3 mins. Add the tomato puree and ketchup, mix well. Toss in sugar, herbs and seasoning. Cook for 2 mins. Add 1 cup of water and stir to get a thick sauce. Cook to desired consistency.

Meanwhile, bring a large heavy bottomed pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta return to a boil and cook for 10 mins, or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, transfer to a warmed serving dish, Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss well. Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve with grated parmesan cheese. Hearty and Tasty!

P.S. For a version closer to the original, substitute 400 gms chicken mince with 100 gms lean Bacon, 100 gms Chicken livers, 100 gms pork and 100 gms beef. You can also add in ½ cup white wine after sautéing the meat.

Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

Anyone who’s not a bacon fan can sign off at the moment because this recipe extols the virtues of fat … Pork fat… interspersed between salty pork meat…which melts and crackles on a hot pan… which curls into a heavenly roll… and then when you bite into it, just melts into your mouth.. sigh! See.. Dint I say anyone who’s not a bacon fan can sign off? A quiche is an open tart with a thin pastry shell (shortcrust) filled with a rich savory egg custard. I made the shortcrust pastry of the quiche at home, so will pat myself on the back. But you can buy the dough from any supermarket. Bacon and mushrooms top this one, but you can add anything you like. They say the original quiche din’t contain cheese... but for me a quiche is not a quiche without liberal amounts of cheese! You can eat this hot or cold, I prefer my quiche cold as the flavors mould in well after some sitting time. The co-resident loved this one and ate a recipe for 6 by himself... God bless his heart!

Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

Prep time: 30 mins + 20 mins refrigeration time

Cooking time: 1 hour total

Serves: 6

What you need:

Pastry

11/2 cups plain Flour

100 gms Butter, chopped

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Water, approx.

Filling

10 thinly sliced Bacon rashers

200 gms Mushrooms

6 Eggs

2/3 cup Milk

11/4 cup Thick Cream

½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Salt and Pepper

What to do:

To Make Pastry: Place flour and butter in food processor. Process for 30 seconds or until mixture is fine and crumbly. Add egg and almost all the water, process for 20 seconds or until the mixture just comes together when squeezed, adding more water if required. Turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead mixture gently to form smooth dough. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to moderately hot 210ºC.

Roll Pastry on a flour board large enough to fit a 13 inch round loose bottomed flan tin. Ease pastry into tin. Trim edge with a sharp knife. Cut a sheet of baking paper large enough to cover pastry lined tin. Place paper over pastry; spread a layer of dried beans or rice evenly over paper. Bake for 15 mins, remove paper and beans; bake for another 10 mins or until pastry case is lightly browned; cool. Reduce oven temperature to moderate 180 ºC.

To make Filling: Reserve four slices of bacon. Chop the remaining bacon. Heat pan, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Sauté the mushrooms in the bacon fat. Keep aside. Combine eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper in a jug. Whisk well. Line pastry case with mushrooms; sprinkle with bacon; pour cream mixture over. Cut reserved bacon rashers in half. Lay strips over cream mixture, sprinkle with cheese. Bake 40 mins or until cooked through and golden. Serve hot or cold with a nice green salad!

P.S. Do not overwork the dough when making pastry in a food processor or pastry will be tough. Another way is to just rub the butter with the flour till it resembles bread crumbs and then just combine with enough water to pull together.

Grilled Red Pepper Pate Crostini

Better late than never I say.. So here’s my grilled pepper pate recipe which I promised to share last month. Pâtè is a fine textured spread or paste. The term also applies to mixtures that have been baked or sautéed, then pureed to a creamy consistency. Pâtè is generally served at room temperature either spread on bread or crackers as finger food. Here we use the pate liberally on French bread and grill with cheese to produce a colorful and bursting with flavor starter. This pate will keep in an airtight container for upto three weeks. So Bon Appétit!

Grilled Red Pepper Pate Crostini

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 35 mins

Makes 1 cup

What you need:

4 large Red Peppers

3 cloves Garlic, unpeeled

2 Tbsps Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce

150gm Butter (melted)

Pinch of Sugar

2 tsps finely chopped Parsley

1 loaf French bread

100 gms Cheddar cheese

Handful of Basil leaves to garnish

What to do:

Preheat oven to hot 240ºC. Line an oven tray with foil. Cut the peppers in half lengthways and remove the seeds and membrane. Cut in half again. Arrange pepper pieces on oven tray with the garlic cloves. Bake for 20 mins. Remove from oven; cover peppers with damp tea towel until cool. Peel skins from pepper pieces and garlic cloves and discard skin.

Place peppers, garlic, vinegar and chilli sauce in a food processor and process until smooth. With motor running pour in melted butter in a thin steady stream. Process until the mixture is thick and creamy. Transfer mixture to a small pan. Stir over low heat for 15 mins. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and parsley.

Cut the French loaf into thin slices and grill in a toaster (crostini). Spread the pate, garnish with basil and cheese and grill until cheese melts. Serve!

Char Grilled Red Peppers with Balsamic Dressing

Summer times call for grilling. While most people can’t think of anything other than meat to toss onto a grill, I say give some veggies a chance - especially red peppers. Don’t worry if you don’t have an outdoor grill, I make mine on an indoor one (with the window open!) and it tastes just as fine. Its funny how the heat makes peppers change their nature – they go from pungent to sweet! Just peppers for dinner might not sound satisfying right now, but I assure you – serve it with some mashed potato, feta and green salad and you have the most refreshing summer meal!

Char Grilled Red Peppers with Balsamic Dressing

Prep time: 20 mins
Marinating time: 1 hr
Serves: 4

What you need:
6 Red Peppers
11/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
200 gms Feta
Green Salad

What to do:
Cut each pepper into quarters; remove seeds and stems. Place skin side up under a preheated grill. Cook until skin blisters and turns black (about 15 mins). Cover peppers with a clean damp tea-towel and allow to stand for 5 mins. Peel away skin. Cut pepper pieces into 2 cm strips. Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar, whisk. Place pepper strips in a small bowl, pour oil mixture over and marinate for an hour in the refrigerator. Serve with green salad and cubed feta cheese.

P.S. Roasting or grilling peppers and peeling off the skin removes bitterness and intensifies the sweet flavor. You can roast a large amount at once and preserve in oil. There’s a fantastic pepper pate recipe I will share soon for the leftover grilled peppers.

Penne with Broccoli

I honestly don’t know why so many people have an aversion to Broccoli. Is it because it looks too green (almost alien green) and healthy? Or is it because no one has ever thought of serving it deep fried? I really can’t fathom the reason, as the only time my palate was exposed to broccoli, was when I had already crossed the fussy food period in my life. In some ways I’m glad, because I do adore the vegetable. Whenever I include broccoli in my food I feel my health quotient going up a couple of notches! Did you know it’s a minus calorie food? – It takes more calories for our body to digest broccoli than the calories it provides. It also has a really high antioxidant and folic acid level. Come on! The little bugger is just rooting for a slimmer and more beautiful you! Need I give you any more reasons to include Broccoli in your meal plans??

Penne with Broccoli

Prep time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

1 head of Broccoli

1 Onion (finely chopped)

3 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

200 ml Double Cream

225 gms Penne

50 gms Parmesan Cheese grated

Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

What to do:

Steam the broccoli and break up into small florets. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook on a medium heat for 5 mins or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more. Then add the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and chilli flakes and gently simmer for about 4 mins. Meanwhile cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to instructions on the packet. Drain, keep back a tiny amount of cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir in the cooking water. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

P.S. Asparagus/Courgettes or the broccoli’s cousin – Cauliflower can also be used in this recipe with the same success.

Strawberry Fool

What’s red and sweet and juicy with a little green mop top? Strawberries! They are finally in season and I’m thrilled! I love strawberries – the colour, the taste, the cutesy look! Absolutely beautiful, these fruit are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C. If you have a cold, get yourself a big glass of strawberry juice and you can kiss the cold goodbye. Really! (Ok, It works for me all the time, maybe I subconsciously want to add one more reason to love the lil buggers!) So, if you want to get on my good side, give me a bowl of strawberries and cream! Yes, I’m a fool for strawberries …sigh!

Strawberry Fool

Prep time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

What you need:

350 gms Strawberries

1 tsp lemon juice

300 ml Double Cream

175 gms/ 1 cup Castor Sugar

What to do:

Put the strawberries into a small pan with 3 Tbsp of water and cook over a low heat until soft. Remove from heat, add the sugar according to taste and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool, then blend or sieve to make a puree. Set aside and cool. Add the lemon juice and stir well. Whip the double cream until it is fairly stiff and using a metal spoon, carefully fold it into the strawberry puree, losing as little volume as possible. Turn the mixture into six serving bowls/ dessert glasses and leave to set. Decorate it with strawberry slices. Leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

P.S. Fools are a very good way of using up a lot of seasonal fruit. Especially if it is soft as it needs to be pulped up and combined with cream. Other fruits that work well include raspberries, blackcurrants, mangoes and peaches.

Kumbh Badami Mirch/ Mushrooms in a Chilli Cashew Gravy

Featured in GoodFood India Magazine - April 2012. (Top 3 recipe, selected under the Himalya Mushroom recipe contest for April)

Mushrooms are nutritional powerhouses and a great source of antioxidants. For vegetarians, mushrooms are a wonderful alternative to meat. They are extremely versatile and I love the earthy flavor they so liberally exude. Healthy and tasty…now how many veggies can lay claim to that title? It’s no surprise that mushrooms rank among my top veggies. I mostly toss them into omelets or into a bowl of pasta, but the Indian mushroom gravies are another thing altogether! This one uses green chillies and cashews and is a rich accompaniment to Naan or rotis. Try this out if you can stomach the heat and I promise you won’t regret it!

Kumbh Badami Mirch

Prep and Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

200 gms Button Mushrooms (quartered)

15 Cashew nuts

4 Green Chilies

1 Onion (finely chopped)

¾ tsp Garlic paste

¼ tsp Turmeric

A pinch of Garam Masala

A handful of Cilantro/ Coriander leaves

5 tsp Refined Oil (Sunflower/ Peanut)

Salt to taste

Garnish:

Juice of half a Lemon

Lemon Wedges

Coriander leaves

What to do:

Grind – Chillies, Coriander leaves and Cashew nuts with ¼ glass water to get a thick paste. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tsps of Oil for 3 mins. Don’t let them lose all their water and shrivel up. Aim for plump but soft mushrooms. Keep aside. Add the remaining oil, sauté the chopped onion until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic paste and sauté for another minute. Now add the turmeric and garam masala and sauté for another 2 mins. Add in the chili-coriander paste and sauté till incorporated. Toss in the mushrooms, season with salt and mix well. Lower the flame. Add water as required, to make the gravy. Let the gravy come to boil. Turn off the heat. Garnish with the juice of ½ lemon and coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis and a cool cucumber raita. I also like to top crusty bread with some of this for a chic appetizer!

P.S. The cashew nuts are what gives the gravy it’s rich creamy texture, so feel free to use more in this recipe, but keep in mind that they are not low in calories. (But mushrooms are, so let’s pray they cancel each other out!)

Honey Chilli Chicken

This is the first Asian style dish that I have posted online. Shall we say in honor of the Year of the Metal Tiger, which starts in the month of February. The year of the Tiger is supposed to bring in dramatic changes but a lot can be accomplished if we are resilient. But enough of the astrology advice...this recipe actually doesn’t require much resilience. It’s very accommodating …gives you enough time to watch an episode on the telly while it cooks away contentedly. I use chicken thighs which have a darker meat which is much more flavorful and suited for this recipe. Also I leave the skin on, which results in a crispy outside but moist inside meat. The co-resident’s not much of a fan of honey in savory dishes, but I love the caramelly glaze and the sweet, pungent and tangy combination.. Drool drool!

Honey Chilli Chicken

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 Chicken thighs / 20 Chicken wings

2 tsps minced Ginger

1 tsp minced Garlic

2 tsps Red Chilli Sauce

2 Tbsps Honey

2 Tbsps Lemon juice

2 Tbsps Soy Sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/425ºF. Place ginger, garlic, honey, chilli sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well. Brush the chicken generously with the mixture and place in a greased baking dish. Cook for 30 mins or until chicken is cooked through and skin is crispy. Baste frequently with sauce during cooking. Its done!

P.S. New potatoes, broccoli and carrots are an ideal accompaniment to this dish. I also served egg noodles with garlic, you know I need my carbs!

Warm Penne, Tomato and Olive Salad

If you want a salad that is hearty, healthy and colorful look no further than this page. Tomatoes and olives are a match made in heaven and in this dish they are combined with just pasta and olive oil, allowing their flavors to shine. I prefer to use black olives in this, cause the colur and taste compliment the dish much better than green olives. But go ahead and experiment. After all the pasta recipes with the heavy sauces, this is a welcome break to my stomach. There’s absolutely no guilt when I indulge in this one. Come to think of it, I have no guilt in indulging in food at all!

Warm Penne, Tomato and Olive Salad

Prep time: 20 mins

Serves: 4 as main course / 8 as salad

What you need:

5 ripe Tomatoes

12 Black Olives sliced

400 gms Penne

4 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Oregano

1 Tbsp fresh Parsley

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

What to do:

Cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water for 12-14 mins or until tender. Meanwhile roughly chop the ripe tomatoes. Finely chop the parsley. Drain the pasta thoroughly in a colander and return it to the clean pan. Toss with the olive oil, tomatoes, sliced olives and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. Serve. So simple!

P.S. If you are unable to find ripe tomatoes, roast those you have to bring out their full flavor. Simply put the tomatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast at 190ºC for 20 mins. Allow to cool slightly, then mash roughly with a fork.

Double Banana Nut Bread

Well baking is really not my forte. Not that I suck at it, but I would never really attempt a 10 layer cake and expect to get it right. That’s what the patisseries’ are for right? That said, this Banana Bread recipe is extremely simple. Actually I am even willing to call it failsafe. Add to the fact that it lets you use up overripe bananas left over from overzealous shopping expeditions, well who’s complaining?? The basic Banana bread recipe remains the same and you can toss any dried fruits/ nuts into it to make it more interesting. I would suggest walnuts, almonds and raisins. Also for a yummy flavor you could add blueberries.. but solo. We don’t want a hodgepodge now do we? It’s a really dense bread, so it keeps moist for a long time. But it's never lasted beyond two days at my place… cause we eat it up!!

Double Banana Nut Bread

Recipe Courtesy: Shelley Albeluhn

Baking time: 60 mins

Serves: 8-12 / One 9X5 inch loaf

What you need:

2 cups All purpose Flour

2 med Eggs, beaten

2-3 mashed Overripe Bananas

¼ tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ cup Butter

¾ cup Brown Sugar

Handful of Raisins and Almonds (broken into small pieces)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, sift and combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in beaten eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Ready and Bready :)

P.S. It’s called Double Banana Nut Bread cause it’s got a pronounced Banana flavor compared to other breads. Yes, it’s actually a result of a very scientific survey. Sue me!