Cranberry & Chocolate Chip Wholewheat Muffins

Cranberries are not grown in India. So all those gorgeous recipes with Cranberries in them were pushed to the back, because let’s face it – I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg to import them. Nor do I want to grab onto someone else’s arm or leg and beg them to get some from their trip abroad.

The dried version however IS available here and I recently happened to pick some up for the heck of it. Foodhall offeres two types – one that looks all red and juicy (which is what I would expect a cranberry to be) and the other which looks like a mini blueberry. Of course I gravitated to the more familiar one, only to be told that they were not whole cranberries and are treated to some extent, with sugar and color to make them pretty and sweeter. I took the bait and bought the more expensive but tart, Whole Cranberries.

The idea was to keep them at my work desk and have them as a snack, a-la-Oprah. But the recipe books beckoned and I caved. A whole wheat muffin that called for dried cranberries had my name written all over it! I improvised and added some chocolate chips in as well…Who knew they would hit it off? J

Ham and Cheese Crepes

I have been super busy the past two months. Just completed a very big and very important project in life that will serve as a retirement cushion. So pretty stoked! But what that necessarily entailed, was me not having time for the small pleasures in life – like cooking something exciting and blogging about it. The co-resident plays football every Saturday morning and comes home ravenously hungry. I got up early today and decided to make a decadent breakfast for him, to make up for all the days in the past few weeks that he has had to eat Maggi noodles! A ham and cheese crepe is a very nice way of saying thank you don’t you think?

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Some things in life are simple. 1+1=2, beach + margarita = holiday and cinnamon + sugar = awesomeness! When I chanced upon this recipe, I was skeptical. The ingredient list was small. The process was easy. And the final product seemed very basic. But the more I kept thinking about the muffin that’s going to be coated with cinnamon sugar, the more I wanted to make it. The story goes back a couple of years – in a mall in Bangkok. (It’s nothing like the Hangover II, so get your mind out of the gutter!). Now BKK is a shopper’s paradise. I landed and checked myself into a hotel which was bang opposite one their biggest malls – yes, I had my priorities in order! The city is hot as hell, so it’s very thoughtful of the government to connect malls to other malls via air-conditioned pathways. The end result being, you feel you are in the biggest mall on the planet!

My daily routine consisted of getting up early, grabbing a quick brekkie at the hotel café and waiting till the mall opened at 10 AM. As soon as the first store opened it’s shutters, I was in shopping mode! Like a ninja on a mission, I went from store to store and floor to floor – looking, comparing, bargaining and buying. The only break I took was a loo break and a lunch break. Ok, so I’m crazy! Luggiing my loot around (I used a big suitcase with wheels :P), I finally saw it. A pretty little bakery done up in pink and dark brown – like candy and chocolate. I was inexplicably drawn towards it - I completely empathize with Hansel and Gretel! There were rows and rows of all the goodies you could imagine – doughnuts, layer cakes, cupcakes, pastries, tarts, truffles and I could go on! I put as many things I could on the tray along with a sugar bun that also made its way there. I sat down to enjoy my sugar coma inducing meal. And you know what the surprise package was?  – The tiny little perfect sugar coated butter bun! I have dreams about it some days (no kidding!).

So the climax is simple. The sugar coated muffin = my substitute for the sugar coated bun. And I’m currently patting my stomach with a Looney smile plastered across my face. Enough said.

Strawberries and Banana Breakfast Smoothie

My fridge is filled with boxes and boxes of Strawberries. Yes, tis the season to be jolly …again! I’ve raved about my strawberry love many times before so you already know I’m crazy about the little suckers. And I always stock up whenever they come around. Apart from eating them dunked in hot chocolate fudge or enjoying them with the traditional fresh cream I also like to make a mean smoothie out of it. Besides, I just bought a nice Morphy Richards blender this month … so I need to puree and blend! I call this my breakfast smoothie because it gives me the necessary kick to start the day. Yes, I need a kick… I am NOT a morning person. Come to think of it, I’m not a night owl either. I’m a nine-to-fiver! Unfortunately those kinds of jobs are hard to come by and even if they do, it will involve sucking up to someone in a government office! Now that I’m done ranting about the lack of optimal timed employment, I come back to the smoothie. It’s yummy, it’s easy, it’s healthy and it’s in season. It’s a complete breakfast, so you can give your Masala Dosa a break today!

Red and Green Coconut Chutneys for Idlis or Dosa

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 18th Sep 2012

I was the kind of South Indian kid who always liked her Dosas more than her Idlis. The crispy buttery pancake always made my mouth water a lot more than the healthier alternative – The Idli. The only place I would crave an Idli was this little cart near Commercial Street. There are more than a dozen idli sellers with similar wares in and around the area but I always gravitated to this one. The reason was simple – the chutney’s! This man made the most awesome red and green chutney’s to go along with the idli’s. People would queue up in front of his cart from 7:00 pm upto 9:00 pm. His stock would never last beyond that! The whole exercise of ordering in this place is an art – of War! You jostle through the crowd to reach a point where he can actually see your face and hear you. Then you scream out your order (no dilly dallying) and squirm your way out of the crowd. Then you keep looking at the guy who plates the idli’s to confirm whether it’s your turn. He will look at you and the slightest nod in your direction would signify that you can come collect your wares. Of course many people will still attempt to move up the crowd and convince him that it’s their plate, so you need to elbow them out of the way and take what’s rightfully yours. I always go back for second (and third) helpings of the chutney. People around are definitely not tolerant of an Idli holding person moving up the order crowd again, but a girls got to do what a girls got to do! The Idli Plater grudgingly dishes out the smallest portion of the second round of chutney’s (after all Coconut’s don’t come cheap these days!) When you are finally done eating, you dispose of the banana leaf (your plate) and pay your bill and smile till your jaws ache!

Now, my version of the Red and Green Coconut Chutneys can never parallel his, but it will definitely add zing to your Idli or Dosa in the morning! J

Savoury Breakfast Muffins to wake you up!

It’s nice to have a good savory muffin in one’s repertoire. (Not that I would ever tire of cupcakes!). But some mornings need a nice wake-me-up-punch and if I load myself with sugary delights, I know I’m going to crash by midday! So this one’s a lovely cheddar and spinach muffin with the red chilli adding the right amount of spice. It feels really healthy because its got veggies and milk and just 3 gms of butter per muffin! (Almost felt like a subway advert there – less than 6 gms of fat!). It’s also really easy to make – just combine the wet and dry ingredients and bake! I would suggest eating these warm (not hot) so that you can still feel the gooey cheese. I like to throw on some Tabasco on top, because I’m crazy! Good Morning darlings… I’m sure going to have one!

Green Goddess Frittata (Spinach, Broccoli and Mushroom)

Frittata is a variation of an omelette and is derived from the Italian word fritto meaning to fry. The difference between an omelette and frittata are four fold. (A) Ingredients are combined with the beaten egg mixture before cooking, unlike an omelette where its tossed on top before the omelette is fully cooked. (B) The mixture is cooked over a very low heat, but for a longer period of time (10-15 mins) compared to an omelette (4-5 mins). (C) The frittata is not folded over like an omelette, but grilled briefly to set the top (D) and finally a frittata is for sharing, unlike an omelette which is a one person dish. So after getting all technical on you, I’d like to conclude by saying – it tastes just like a fat, fancy omelette or a baseless quiche. Both of which are fully acceptable and appreciated with gusto in my home. I would serve the frittata cold with some toasted baguettes for a fuss free lunch. It’s also a great option to lug around for a picnic. I call this one Green Goddess – with Spinach, broccoli and mushroom, how could I have not?

Spinach, Mushroom and Broccoli Frittata

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 2-3

What you need:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

80 gms Broccoli florets, chopped

200 gms Button Mushrooms, sliced

2 cups Spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

6 eggs

A splash of soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

What to do:

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan. Add the mushrooms and broccoli and cook over a high heat s, stirring, for about 7 mins. Add the spinach and sauté for 1-2 mins. Lower the heat, do not let the spinach wilt.

Break the eggs into a bowl, season with salt, pepper and soy and beat well. Pour over the veggie mix in the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 mins. As the eggs set, lift the frittata with a spatula and tilt the pan so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat till the whole frittata looks set.

When the eggs are set sprinkle with grated parmesan and place the pan under the grill. (about 4 inches from the heat). Cook for 1-2 mins or until the top is golden brown and firm when pressed. Cut into quarters and serve with freshly toasted and buttered baguettes and a nice glass of wine.

Note 1 : Use a frying pan that can be placed in the oven as well. Or else you need to transfer the frittata into an oven proof dish to grill the top.

Note 2: Non Veggie Option: Reduce the olive oil to 1 Tbsp and add 60 gms of diced bacon and sauté the veggies in the bacon fat. Omit the soy sauce, as the bacon will provide the requisite saltiness.

Strawberry Griddle Cakes for a Fancy Breakfast

Yes, I know it’s another recipe with strawberries back to back. But I have so many in my fridge that I need to use them and use them in innovative ways! (lest the co-resident realize my evil plan of ‘waste to wealth’). I have a supermarket weakness. If something looks fresh, is in season and the store has a buy one get one free offer – I’m hooked. Rest assured, I will be carting loads of it back home! Come on now, who doesn’t like a good bargain? Thankfully Strawberries are such accommodating fruit that you can pair them with almost anything and achieve success. Now coming to Griddle cakes. First of all, don’t let the name take you on a wild goose chase. Another name for a frying pan is a griddle and griddle cakes are nothing but pancakes that are just a little firmer. So you can call them Strawberry pancakes if you please… but I much prefer the fancier sounding name. (Fools the co-resident into thinking he’s getting something radical to chew on!) I served the Griddle cakes with some strawberries in wine instead of the routine ‘drizzle the pancake syrup on’. And since that means I’m having wine for breakfast, it automatically becomes a fancy brekkie! (Ok, so I have low expectations…Sue me!)

Strawberry Griddle Cakes with Strawberries steeped in Wine

Prep time: 30 mins + cooling time

Serves: 4

What you need:

125 gms self raising Flour

1 pinch Cinnamon and Salt

½ tsp Baking Powder

30 gms Castor Sugar

1 Egg

1 Lemon, juice of

125 ml Milk

150 gms fresh Strawberries, diced

Salted Butter

For the Strawberries in Wine:

200ml Rose Wine

1 tsp Vanilla essence

50 gms Castor Sugar

200 gms fresh Strawberries, sliced

What to do:

To make the Strawberries in Wine: Heat the wine and sugar in a large pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring the liquid to a boil toss in the strawberries, take off the heat. Add the vanilla essence, cover the pan and set aside for the fruit to steep in the liquid until cool.

To make the griddle cakes: Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the center and tip in the egg, milk and lemon juice to make a batter. Add the diced strawberries to the mix. Mix well till small bubbles appear on the surface of the batter.

Heat a non stick frying pan and add a little salted butter. Add spoonfuls of the batter to the pan to make small thick pancakes. Cook on medium heat until bubbles start to appear on the surface of the griddle cakes – about 2 or 3 mins. Flip and continue to cook for another 2-3 mins. Repeat with the rest. Serve warm with the wine steeped strawberries.

Note: If cooking in batches, keep the cooked ones warm in a low oven while you finish the rest.

Strawberry Milkshake and My 100th Post

It’s my 100^th post today. I can’t believe I had enough material to go this far (apparently I do!) Bloggers say that lasting the 2 years is the biggest challenge. You need to be interested in what you blog about and let’s face it, people need to be interested in what you write about. You might say that you give a rat’s ass about what people think…but that’s not true. You need an audience to appreciate art. (Ok, in my case … the art of blabbering!) If nothing else, I have at least 100 failsafe recipes that I can always fall back on! I’ve also come to realize that I care as much,  (if not more) about my pictures that accompany each blog post. So the journey for me has been about taking baby steps to produce pics that I am proud of. (Here’s the link to my first post and picture. (Click Here) No, am not ashamed, it’s a learning curve right?) :P

Talking of learning curves, was I going to put up some insurmountable culinary challenge as my 100^th post? Hell No! Most of the inspiring recipes for me are ones that you look at and decide instantly, “I can make that …tonight or right now”. It’s recipes that look simple and delicious and goad you into thinking that you can create them with a flourish of your hand. So here’s the Strawberry Smoothie recipe. No fuss, all Love!

P.S. Thanks for stopping by…

Strawberry Smoothie

Prep time: 10 mins

Serves: 2

What you need:

200 gms fresh Strawberries

400 ml of Milk, cold

2 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream

2 Tbsp of Sugar

What to do:

Take the green tops off the strawberries (he he he!), Wash them under running water. Toss them in a blender with the Sugar and whir around for 3 mins till you get a lovely red puree. Now Add the ice cream in and blend for 1 min. Finish by adding the milk in and run the blender for 2 more mins till you get a nice and frothy mix. Check for sweetness. (you can add more sugar if you want at this point – what are you like carzy??)

Pour into a tall glass and enjoy making a milk mustache!

I love this pic below... Something about it makes me feel like I'm floating on a cloud :)

Cherry Chocolate Muffins and Love as I know it...

Yes, we all know Valentine’s Day is around the corner. And though I personally don’t do cart wheels because of it (overrated to say the least!), it does make me think about Love. It’s a bit like this Muffin. Don’t give up on me yet… I know not everything is about food, but the comparison makes it easy for me to rationalize the subject in my head! I started out with a recipe for this muffin from a completely trusty source. The recipe seemed simple and the pictures were gorgeous enough to make me want to try it right away. So I dived headlong into it. The results were ‘nice’ but I felt sorely cheated. Not because it din’t taste good or look divine, it just din’t hit the spot like how I pictured it in my overly imaginative mind. So did I mope around whilst eating it, knowing all well that this is not what I wanted? Hell no! I knew the ingredients were right but the quantities didn’t add up. So I rolled up my sleeves and played around with the proportions till it felt just right. Then I baked it… and voila … muffins like I wanted – light, fluffy, cherry filled awesomeness!

So coming to my point about muffins and Love.  Lots of people will tell you what ideal Love is and paint you glory pictures while they’re at it. You’ll dive headlong into it and when match the following doesn’t work – come out disillusioned. (Insert expletives!) Here’s where I step in and give you my two cents. (Backed by 10 years of being in love with one man – ok, in and out :P) The ingredients for love are the same. A little bit of passion, lots of respect, loads of understanding, truckloads of generosity and some space to be yourself, blah blah blah. Each one needs to work out the proportions themselves. What’s good for the goose may not always be good for the gander! And you need to work at it… it’s never going to be ‘perfect’ the first time. (It’s not called a ‘labour’ of love for nothing!) And when you get it right, finally – you can sit back and enjoy a muffin or two together. (P.S. you don’t have to labour to get this muffin right… I’ve done it for you this time!) and ….Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cherry Chocolate Muffins
(Recipe inspired from Sin-a-Mon Tales)

Prep time: 25 mins

Baking time: 20-22 mins

Makes: 12

What you need:

1 cup Flour

¾ cup powdered Sugar

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Baking powder

½ cup Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

¼ cup Vegetable Oil

½ cup freshly brewed Hot Coffee

¾ cup pitted Cherries, halved (I used the ones in Syrup)

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the muffin tins with paper liners and set aside. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a big bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg with the oil till well incorporated and airy. Now add the Milk and vanilla essence and give it a quick whir. (I use an electric whisk). Now slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and run the mixer on low speed to just combine. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to being the ingredients to the center. Now add the coffee and run the whisk for a 30 secs to combine all the ingredients. (The batter will be runny… don’t worry). Fold in the pitted halved cherries. (Or you could add them when you pour the batter into the muffin cups).

Distribute the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each one 2/3 full. (I added my cherries in stages while filling the batter). Bake for 20-22 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Wait till completely cooled to enjoy their true flavor.

Inspired by Sin-A-Mon's Black Forest Muffins

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!

Orange-Raisin Muffins

Winter in Bangalore (if it can be called winter at all!) is a lovely time. We have a crisp chill in the air but the sun shines brightly and the sky is a gorgeous blue with dots of white clouds. What is also wondrous at this time is Oranges. One of my favorite fruits. Orange juices in cartons might have all but killed the joy of eating one, but there is nothing like a sweet citrusy orange to add that zing to your morning brekkie or evening snack or dinner time…you get the drift! An orange is one fruit that I eat with utmost care, not because it’s delicate but because my grandmother (bless her soul) had fed us with scary stories. She claimed that if we swallowed an orange seed, an orange tree would grow in our stomach and sprout leaves from our ears! Yes, she was quite the graphic storyteller! In such circumstances, my sisters and I all but spat the seeds out as soon as it touched our tongues. And since we had a lovely balcony that overlooked the road, the recipients of the seeds would always be unsuspecting passers-by! We would duck and giggle and continue the attack. So it’s with fond memories that I look forward to orange season every year. Brings the little rascal out in me!

Orange-Raisin Muffins

Prep time: 15 mins

Baking time: 20 mins

Makes: 8-10

What you need:

3/4 cup sultanas/ raisins

2 Tbsp Honey

Zest and juice of 1 Orange

1/4 cup Milk

1 cup natural Yoghurt

50g Butter, Melted

1 egg

2 cups plain Flour, sifted

2 tsps Baking powder

1/3 cup Castor sugar

What to do:

Preheat oven to 190'C. Lightly greese a non stick muffin pan.

Place sultanas, honey, orange zest and juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Beat egg, mix with milk, yoghurt and melted butter. Combine with the orange sauce. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes a lovely addition to your morning cuppa!

P.S. The sultanas may seem like a lot, but all the orange flavor is concentrated in them. Also the sultanas are what give the muffin sweetness. IF you like you’re breakfast sweet, then go ahead and increase the sugar to ½ cup.

DO NOT leave the muffins in longer than 20 mins as they will turn as tough as hockey pucks. If you want to see a little more colour on the top of the muffins, give it an eggwash. (lightly brush some beaten egg over the muffin in the last 5 mins of baking.)

Sweet Cinnamon Rolls and Savory Dill Rolls

Featured in Tastespotting.com - 14th Jan 2012

Now that I think I can bake bread, I have ventured further into this magical world of yeast. Yes, I know it sounds corny, but it’s becoming an addiction. Somehow knowing that this little growing organism holds the key to a perfectly turned out loaf, makes me feel completely ensnared by it. Like a little slave, I wait for the yeast to make its presence felt and grace my little loaf with the air and water it needs to grow. Amen. This week I made rolls. I used the basic bread roll recipe and decided to twist the dough around – literally. In the end I had these pretty looking swirls enclosing raisins and cinnamon for the sweet lovers and dill and onions for the savory tongues. If you are going to have someone over for tea, I suggest serving a couple of these. Very very fun and tasty. Or have them for a fantastic breakfast – beats the crap out of store cereal anyday!

Cinnamon Rolls and Dill Rolls

Prep time: 15 mins

Sitting time: 2+2 hrs

Baking time: 10-15 mins

Makes: 8-10 rolls

What you need:

1 Basic Bread Dough recipe (Click here)

If making Cinnamon Rolls:

50 gms Butter, softened

2 tsps Cinnamon Powder

2 Tbsps Brown sugar

Some raisins to sprinkle in between

If making Dill Rolls:

¾th Tbsp Oil

1 Onion, sliced

2 Green Chili, chopped

1 bunch Dill leaves, chopped

¼ tsp Salt

What to do:

In the basic bread dough recipe, when you reach the stage of shaping the dough into rolls, follow the below instructions. Divide the dough into 8-10 balls. Now roll out the ball into a 10” rope. Lay it on the table top and flatten it out to 1” width and 1/2” thickness.

For the Cinnamon rolls: Spread some softened butter onto the flattened rope. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Toss in a few raisins. Now start folding the flattened dough to make a spiral.

For the Dill rolls: Heat oil and fry the onion and chilli. Add dill and fry for 2 mins. Seasn with salt. Cool. Spread the cooled mixture onto the flattened dough rope and then fold into a spiral.

Now place the dough rolls on a baking tray and loosely cover with cling film (to keep the moisture in). The dough will ferment and double in size in the next two hours. Just before baking, glaze with a eggwash for the dill roll or a milkwash for the cinnamon roll. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10-15 mins. Once done, overturn the rolls in the baking tray to avoid the bottom getting soggy. Serve Warm.

Note: If you’re oven is small, you can still bake this in 2 batches. Ensure space between the rolls after shaping, as they double in size. Also if you plan to make both the rolls – don’t bake the cinnamon ones with the dill. They both have very strong smells and the resultant intermingling is strange. Two batches – one for each type should be ideal.

The rolls are at their glorious peak when hot. Serve at tea time or devour for brekkie!!

Here's what was featured in Tastespotting.com



Baking Bread - In all shapes and sizes

The warm yeasty smell, the soft fluffy touch, the chewy satisfying taste, the golden yellow sheen – it can only be Bread!! I love bread. I love it so much that I want to sleep on a pillow of freshly baked bread… Sweet dreams for sure. Of course no one really bothers to try to bake bread – not without a bread machine. It’s too cumbersome, when you can just run out to the bakery that’s been making it for generations and pretty much knows how to earn their dough from it! But everyone wants to ‘try’ to bake bread. This attempt was one to scale my personal Everest of the year. Yes, some climb mountains; I make mountains of a mole hill challenge! Anyway I was mighty impressed with the results. *Patting myself on the back*. Just thought I’ll gloat to you guys as well J

Basic Bread Recipe

Prep time: 15 mins

Sitting time: 2+2 hrs

Baking time: 30 mins for loaves; 15 mins for buns/ rolls

Makes: 2 loaves or several fun shapes

 

What you need:

3 ½ cups Refined Flour/ Maida

100ml + 100ml Water

50 ml Milk

2 tsp Yeast (granules)

4 tbsp Sugar (Powdered/ Castor)

1 tsp Sugar (Granulated)

1 ½ tsp Salt

5 Tbsp Oil (refined sunflower/ neutral tasting oils)

What to do:

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water (100ml) with the granulated sugar and keep aside for ten minutes. If the mixture starts bubbling and yeast starts rising to the surface you know the yeast is activated.

Sieve the flour, add salt and sugar. Mix in the remaining water. Then add the yeast, milk and oil and knead to a soft and smooth dough. Use the base of your palm to knead the dough by pushing the dough away from you and then gathering it again. 10 mins of this labour of love should do it. Keep the dough covered with cling wrap for 2 hours. It should have doubled in size. Now unwrap and punch the dough down. Go on release all that pent up energy. We do this to remove all the trapped air.

If making a loaf of bread: Put it into a loaf tin and keep it covered with cling film. The dough will ferment and double in size in the next two hours.

If making buns/ rolls: Mould the dough into the desired shape. Place on a baking tray, loosely cover with cling film (to keep the moisture in). The dough will ferment and double in size in the next two hours.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 mins if making bread/ 15 mins for buns. Enjoy the smell of heaven!!

 

The dough rising slowly.

You can use an eggwash (beat an egg and use it to brush the surface of the bun before baking) to give the buns a nice glaze!

Classic Bacon and Egg Salad Sandwich

It’s called classic because it’s a timeless combination. Bacon and Eggs. I could actually have an entire blog dedicated to the dishes you could dish out of this very combination. But we don’t want to be biased now, do we ;) ?  New question… why do I need a separate blog post for the simplest of sandwiches? Because my friends it’s the little things that matter and this recipe has all the little things that will transform a slap dash sandwich into the classic it is. For a hint – it’s Mustard. Not convinced? Ok, Parsley. Still not convinced? Ok its mustard and parsley and mayo. Trust me, the combo works like a charm!

Classic Bacon and Egg Sandwich

Prep time: 10 mins

Makes 2 sandwiches

What you need:
2 rashers rindless Bacon
2 hard boiled Eggs
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp finely chopped flat leaf Parsley
Salt and freshly ground Black pepper
Butter or Margarine
4 slices Milk or other White Bread

What to do:
Grill bacon or fry in a dry non-stick pan until crisp. Allow to cool, then chop. Chop up eggs and mash with the mayonnaise, mustard and parsley. Stir bacon pieces through and season with salt and pepper.
Lightly butter bread, spread egg mixture on two slices and top with remaining bread.

P.S. This sandwich is also tasty when toasted. Or if you please, you can ditch the bread and have it as an Egg Salad instead!

Fluffy Cheese Omlette

One of the most satisfying things you can have for brekkie is a nice cheese omelette. (Yes…I like this spelling in comparison to the plain old ‘omelet’). Its feels decadent but it’s very healthy, And it’s definitely more inspiring than just plain toast and orange juice. No kidding, but a cheese omelette is considered special breakfast in my place. I always make it when my sister spends the night at my place and we have lazy conversations over it the next morning. Whip it up on any day in under 5 mins and I ensure it will sit pretty and happy in your stomach till lunch break.

Fluffy Cheese Omelette

Prep time: 2 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

What you need:

2 Med Eggs

1 Tbsp Water

25gm/ 1 cube of Cheese (Cheddar)

A dash of Butter

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

What to do:

Ensure the eggs are at room temperature. Crack them open into a bowl, add a tablespoon of water and whisk to get some air into the mixture and till the white and yellows are nicely blended. (NOT stiff!) Heat a non stick pan. Smear some butter to grease the pan. Pour the egg mixture in. Reduce the heat to low. Let the eggs just start to set. Grate the cheese onto one half of the omlette. When the egg looks about set, fold the non cheese part over the cheese half, so that you have a nice semi circle. Pat the edges down so that it seals the contents in. Wait till it starts to fluff up (30 secs). Season with salt and pepper. Now slide the omlette into a plate and enjoy a sunny morning!! 

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.