Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich

Some days you are just so lazy that the only option to a fulfilling meal = a Maggi. I have no shame in admitting that the choice for a meal for one, when the co-resident is away is to shove my face with the noodles in front of the telly. Their byline does it for me – Ready in 2 minutes. It’s another matter that its 400 calories of zero nutrition! (I still love you though, my darling Maggi Noodles!) What can I say, old habits die hard! One sunny Saturday afternoon (that’s when laziness is at its peak), I reached into the store cupboard for my customary lazy meal when … Gasp! I had run out of Maggi. Now the paramount rule of laziness restricts me from getting dressed to go to the store down the road to buy one. So my brain had to think of an alternative which would be ready in two minutes. That’s when I made my Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich! (Well technically two minutes for the assembly, as I already had boiled eggs). Also this one packs in loads of the good stuff – salad leaves, eggs, tuna. A high protein healthy lunch, if you ever needed one! I can feel myself getting leaner already ;)

Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich

Prep time: 5 mins

Grilling time: 5 mins

Serves: 2

What you need:

8 slices of Bread (use wholegrain, if you want to up the health quotient)

200 gms can of Tuna in water, drained

4 hard boiled Eggs, sliced

4 Tbsp Mayo

2 cups Mixed Salad leaves

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp white wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, close the lid and shake well until blended. Pour over the salad leaves and mix to combine.

Spread a Tbsp of Mayo on one slice. Place a generous quantity of salad on the other. Top with the tuna and egg slices. Season with salt and pepper. Sandwich together. Repeat for the other three sandwiches.

Lightly spray a heated grill pan with some oil and press the sandwich down for about a 45 seconds per side till it looks golden and toasty. Alternatively use a sandwich maker. Sit down to enjoy a happy meal!

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes - for that Festive Feeling!

    Featured in TasteSpotting.com - 5th Jan 2012 and Yummly.com - 23rd Jan 2012

Deck the halls with boughs of holly (fa la la la laa, la laa la la), Tis the season to be jolly (fa la la la la ….and thereabouts)! Yes, there is definitely something festive in the air this time of the year! Better TV programming, people getting drunk on home made wine, Brigade road lit up with fairy lights… Oh yes there’s something festive! I’ve always had a double whammy during this time, Mom’s birthday is on the 24^th and then comes Christmas! The co-resident insisits on buying me presents and who says no during the season of giving ;) So it’s only fair to say, it’s my favourite time of the year! (Apart from my birthday of course, which I always thought should be declared a national holiday…No? Ok fine… half a day? No?… Grinches!) Anyway this brings me to the Triple Chocolate Cupcake. Yes, you heard me right – it's Triple = Three = Tres = more the merrier! It’s a Chocolate cupcake with dark Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Frosting. Too much? But we already established that ‘Tis the season to be jolly’ right? Go ahead lick the cream off one ;)  Happy Birthday Mumma and Merry Christmas Darlings!

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Prep time: 10 mins + 10 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Makes: 10-12 cupcakes

What you need:

For the Cupcakes:
½ cup unsalted Butter
1 cup granulated White Sugar
2 large Eggs
¾ cup Maida
½ tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup regular unsweetened Cocoa Powder (not dutch processed)
½ cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2/3 cup mini dark Chocolate Chips

For the Frosting:
1 cup granulated Sugar
3 Tbsp Maida
1 cup less 2 Tbsp Milk
3 Tbsp Cream
¾ cup unsalted Butter
½ tsp Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Chocolate Sauce (Hershey’s)

What to do:

For the Cupcakes: Pre-heat the oven to 170 degree C. Grease or line your muffin tin with paper cups. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. This ensures that all these ingredients mix evenly and lumps are removed. Mix the milk and vanilla extract in a cup

With an electric mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Start with a low speed and increase to high speed. This process incorporates maximum air bubbles, making the cupcakes, soft and airy. Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time. Beat for 30 seconds after each egg.

Now slowly beat the sifted dry ingredients into the mixture in three batches, adding the milk between each flour batch. Start and end with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as required, and ensure that the batter is evenly mixed. Do not over beat. With a spoon, stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill ½ to 2/3 of the cups in the first muffin tin. Bake for 24-26 minutes. (I use a convestion oven). For a regular oven 23-25 mins should be fine. (I would use this time to make the frosting). Insert a toothpick into one of the cupcakes in the oven and ensure that it comes out clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Ensure that the cupcakes are completely cooled before you start to frost them.

For the Frosting: Mix sugar and flour in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil. Simmer and stir frequently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Set aside to cool. Beat the mixture for 5 minutes, add the butter and beat for another 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute. Add the Chocolate Sauce and incorporate.

Make it look Pretty: Ensure that the cupcakes are at room temperature. This is very important. Lay the cupcakes on a flat surface. Fill a paper cone or a piping bag with a medium tip and frost each cupcake with the frosting. Mmmmmm............ :D

(Recipe Adpated from The Cupcake Project and Bite Me Company)

Here's what was featured in Tastespotting.com

Yummly.com featured me in their lucious frosting post on 23rd Jan 2012. 

http://www.yummly.com/blog/2012/01/luscious-frostings-to-top-your-favorite-desserts/

Methi Chicken with Coconut Rice

I always hated all the weird green leafy things that my mom religiously included in atleast one meal of the day. It din’t matter if the greens were all different and tasted unique, just the fact that it was greens, was enough to make us wring our faces in disgust. We gave it a combined names of ‘Soppu’ which literally means ‘Greens’ in Kannada and left it at that. Methi or Fenugreek leaves was maybe the general of the green army. The fact that it was bitter elevated it to the hate list pretty quickly. Yes, it’s healthy and a fantastic source of Iron, but try getting that into our little brains. Now that my brain is slightly bigger (Ok, my head got bigger, fine?) I may have developed a taste for it….Gasp! (Don’t tell my mom!). Actually aging has a strange effect on the palate. You tend to appreciate other tastes apart from the sugar buzz that got you through high school! (Not saying that sweet somethings don’t get me all woozy brained and manic eyed but you get the drift…). One of my favourite recipes with Methi apart from Methi rice is Methi Chicken. The bitterness all but disappears and you’re left with a smokey flavor. Compliments the coconut rice beautifully!

P.S You can also serve the Methi Chicken with roti’s. That’s what I do when I’m pressed for time!

Methi Chicken with Coconut Rice

Cooking time: 45 mins

Serves: 4-6

What you need:

1 Kg Chicken, curry cut

2 cups Methi/ fenugreek leaves (fresh), chopped

2 Tbsp Vegetable/ Sunflower oil

1 large Onion, chopped

1 large Tomato, chopped

1 Tbsp Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Ginger, minced

1 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsps Kashmiri Red Chili powder

2 tsp Coriander/ Dhaniya powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

For the Coconut Rice:

3 cups Jeera Sambhar Rice (or any aromatic short grain)

2 medium Onions, sliced

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 pieces Cinnamon (1” each)

2 Bay leaves

3 Cardamom pods

10 whole Cashews

5 Tbsp Oil

2 cups Coconut Milk (I prefer the Homemade Brand)

3 cups Water

1 cup Grated Fresh Coconut, lightly toasted

Salt to taste

What to do:

For the Methi Chicken: Heat the oil in a large cooking pan. Once the oil ripples, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the onions and a teaspoon of salt and let it cook covered for 5 minutes. (The salt hastens the browning process, gives the curry a lovely colour). Sprinkle the turmeric, red chili and coriander powder. Reduce heat and saute for 2 mins, till the raw smell disappears. Don’t let the spice mixture burn. Mix in the tomatoes, raise the heat to medium-high and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken and mix well to combine. Cook covered for 10 minutes. After that add the chopped methi/ fenugreek leaves and cook covered on medium-low flame for a further 25-30 minutes. Don't add any water and let it cook in its own juices. Finally, sprinkle some garam masala and season with Salt as per taste.

For the Coconut Rice: Soak the bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamom in 3 Tbsp of water for 5 mins. Wash and soak rice for 5 mins. Drain and set aside. Heat a pan/ cooker frying pan. Toast the coconut till it starts to just dry out and some strands turn brown. About 5 mins, then set aside. Heat the oil in a cooker frying pan. When it is hot add in the ghee. (This is to prevent it from burning). Put in the whole spices sans water (save it), reduce the heat. Toss in Onions and sauté on medium flame till they turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste, fry well. Toss in the cashews, and sauté till golden. Now add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with the oil mixture. Pour in the water, spice water and coconut milk. Stir well to combine. Wait till the contents come to a boil. Pressure cook with weight on for 10 mins. Let it stand for 10 mins before serving or till pressure disappears. Now open the lid and fluff the contents with a fork – this ensures the rice does not stick together. Now gently fold in the toasted coconut.

Serve hot with Methi Chicken!

P.S. If you want a pronounced coconut-y flavor, increase the coconut milk to 3 glasses and reduce the water to 2 ½ glasses. Generally the rule for good fluffy rice is a rice to water ratio of 1:1 ½. However, since the coconut milk also has a solid component, we add more water to ensure the rice cooks to perfection.

Baked Yoghurt with Cinnamon and Orange Compote

The BBC Good Food magazine finally arrived in India! (Ok, it arrived in November but I’m writing this post now…Sue me!) Like any food fanatic, I was over the moon. Promptly went and subscribed for it and ran around like a headless chicken to get the first edition in my hand. Yes, I do love books with pictures in it… especially food pictures! Got the magazine back home and devoured it from cover to cover! Bliss comes in different ways to different people. I religiously book marked recipes to try and went and did my grocery shopping. Ain’t I the model foodie? But, days turned into weeks and now weeks into a month and I still hadn’t tried anything. The next issue arrived and I was determined to cook something from the first edition atleast! So obviously I picked the recipe that looked the most difficult, the most beautiful, the weirdest, the most challenging, the easiest! This recipe is more about combining ingredients than actual cooking, but it turned out to be quite the dessert! Maybe a little less cinnamon the next time and I’m bookmarking this recipe for easiest dessert ever. (Other than serving Ice cream of course!)

Baked Yoghurt with Cinnamon and Orange Compote

(Recipe Courtesy: BBC Good Food India, Nov 2011)

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 6-8

What you need:

¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon

200 gms Fresh Cream

200 gms Condensed Milk

200 gms Yoghurt (Set Dahi)

2 Mandarins/ Seville Oranges (where the skin sticks to the fruit)

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 Star Anise

What to do:

In a bowl, stir together the cinnamon, yoghurt, cream and condensed milk until it attains a consistent texture. Pour the mixture into ramekins and bake at 120°C until just set – approx 15 mins. Turn off the oven and let it continue to cool in the oven. Refrigerate for a few hours and serve chilled.

For the compote: Zest the orange making sure to avoid the white pith (that imparts the bitter taste). Cut the oranges into pieces and deseed it. In a saucepan, add the orange, zest, sugar and star anise and simmer for 12-15 mins until reduced. Serve warm spooned over the cold yoghurt.

P.S. The original recipe said ½ tsp Cinnamon, but I think it overpowers the yoghurt. So I’ve reduced it to ¼ tsp or lesser.

Risi e Bisi

All good food is comfort food but some rank higher in the list. And if it’s warm and soft and has ham and cheese in it… the points just go way up! When I first read the recipe, I concluded that I liked the name very much. Sounds just like ‘hot rice’ in Kannada! Risi e Bisi actually means rice and peas in Italian. It’s a classic Venetian risotto dish. Comforting for sure, but also simple to make. My version has sweet corn in addition to the peas, just because I think the sweet flavor complements the salty ham well. I use frozen peas in this dish. They are cheaper and are available year round. They also often have a better flavor than the fresh ones, as they are frozen at source immediately after being picked, which helps retain their sweet taste. I bought a kilo of very expensive risotto rice and am using it judiciously, but feel free to use Idly rice. (Apparently the final result is comparable). Don’t take my word for it… I just heard it from a little birdie. But I would love to hear from you, if the substitution worked in your favour. For a cold winter day – Risi e Bisi!

Risi e Bisi

Cooking time: 50 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

1 ½ cups Risotto rice

1.25 litre / 5 cups simmering Chicken stock

6 Tbsp Butter

1 small Onion, finely chopped

150 ml White wine

1 cup frozen Peas

1 cup Sweet Corn kernels

100 gms cooked ham, diced

50 gms Parmesan/ Grano Padano, grated

Salt and freshly ground Black pepper to taste

What to do:

Wash the rice, drain and keep aside. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in a large heavy pan until foaming. Add the onion and cook gently for about 3 mins, stirring frequently, until softened. Have the hot stock ready in an adjacent pan. Add the rice to the onion mixture. Stir until the grains start to swell, then pour in the wine. Stir until the wine stops sizzling and most of it has been absorbed. Then pour in a little hot stock, with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the corn. Stir continuously on low heat, until all the stock has been absorbed.

Add the remaining stock a ladle at a time, allowing the rice to absorb all the liquid before adding in the next ladle. Add the peas after about 20 mins. Stir to mix well and cook for a further 5-7 mins. The risotto should be nice and creamy and cooked. (Some people like it al dente, I like to be a little more cooked, say 3-4 mins more).

Now, gently stir in the diced ham and the remaining butter. Heat through until the butter has melted. Stir in the grano padano. (Save some to grate on top). Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Transfer the risotto to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.