Fun and Food Blog

Mini Chocolate & Fruit Trifles

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Fruit Trifles have been a favorite at holiday gatherings - layered with a piece of sponge cake, topped with whipped cream, fresh fruits, chocolate, nuts and your favorite toppings, they not only look elegant, but are the perfect end to a holiday dinner! So I tried to re-create the magic of trifles, albeit, in a smaller size, which suits perfectly for individual servings. Layered with fresh bananas, berries, mixed-fruit puree, whipping cream, rich swiss-mocha chocolate syrup and crushed...

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Garlic Naan Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:18:00 +0000

"Naan" is a name well-known in Indian cooking, and this is one kind of flatbread that is appreciated all around the world, by Indians and non-Indians alike. Soft and tender, Naan can be made with several different variations, but I bet every one loves a bite of Garlic Naan! It pairs well with any kind of curry, and is filling as well as appealing to the eye. Determined to try a homemade Naan recipe, I set out on an adventure last weekend, and was happy to see that my Garlic Naans turned out...

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Sugar High Fridays- Fruit & Nut Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Its Friday, and that means the weekend is round the corner, and its time to give in to indulgences - so we celebrate it with the Sugar High Friday - Fruit & Nut Roundup! No one needs a reason to enjoy good food, and each one of these delicious desserts that you are about to see below is a culinary treat in itself. Thanks for sharing all your delicious recipes with us, and hope these inviting entries will help you enjoy your weekend, making it a bit "more sweet"!! Cakes & Muffins Fruit &...

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Mango Coconut Snack Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Summer is the time I miss India the most - No, NO, not for the Heat, but for the delicious Mangoes that we relished during the season, never mind the pounds it added to my frame! Indian Mangoes have no parallel, but after so many years in the US, I guess we've started appreciating the fact that we can at least get mangoes in California, and they are of "decent-quality". So to satisfy my Mango mania, I baked these Mini Mango-Coconut Snack Cakes, a healthy, delicious alternative to regular...

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Free Weekend Getaway with Chef Bonnie

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Most of the schools in US have closed down for summer and people are frantic planning their family vacations as the heat turns up in Sunny California! For those of you who have not yet experienced the sunny shores and the cool waters of the Pacific, here's something that could get you closer to a romantic Southern California getaway, which also includes a surprise package for food-lovers like me! As the economy vacillates between good and not-so-good forecasts, everyone is looking for a way...

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How To Carmelize Onions

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000

If you love cooking as much as I do, I am pretty sure at some point of time, you must have been enthused by the flavor of Carmelized Onions, be it as a topping on your Pizza, or a garnish on your Pasta or Salad, and I've received several requests to post about how to make them at home. The first thing you notice about these Onions is that they are "Golden-Brown". But the more important fact is how they smell and taste; unlike regularly sauteed onions, Carmelized Onions have a unique flavor,...

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Masala Chhas (Spiced Buttermilk)

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Summer has surely set its mark here in Northern California, and the temperatures are slowly rising to higher 80's! Its getting so hot all I want to do is sit back and lounge on my rocking chair, sipping gingerly from an array of cool summer drinks:) Juices, smoothies, ice-cream shakes are all preferred choices, but sometimes, the tongue craves for something "chatpata & masaledaar", and that's when this cooling and refreshing Masala Chaas, or Spicy Buttermilk comes to your rescue! Lots of people...

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Announcing Sugar High Fridays - Fruit & Nut

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:42:00 +0000

Ok, Summer is here, and so is the time to whip up some cool and refreshing desserts! This month, Fun and Food is proud to host the SHF June 2009, with the theme of "Fruit & Nut" Sugar High Fridays, or SHF, was started by Jennifer a long time ago, and has been passing through hosts and roundups for some wonderful sweet delicacies. Fran just finished posting about the Gluten-free SHF Roundup, and now its my turn! This time, I ask you to get creative with your summer fruits, combine them with...

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BBQ & Grilling Tips - Perfect for Memorial Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:42:00 +0000

As we approach summer, its time to get out your barbecue grills and start having some fun with them, especially around Memorial day weekend! Whether its camping or just a backyard bbq, there is always a thrill attached to grilling; in fact we absolutely love it! But as easy as it sounds, grilling is not everyone's forte. I am sure all of you must have had some good and bad experiences with barbecues; it serves to be one of the best events for a pot luck, meeting with friends, chilling out and...

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Raspberry Coconut Breakfast Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Summer is the season for fresh Berries, and what better way to get the antioxidants into your system than by beginning your weekend with a slice of this delicious Raspberry Coconut Breakfast Cake! Actually, I was tempted by seeing the IHOP commercials about the Strawberry Festival that's going on, but it looked like way too many calories to indulge in. So to satisfy my sweet tooth, I thought of baking something that's not too unhealthy, and can pacify my cravings too. Thus was born this...

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Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Mirchi ka Saalan is a name known to many in Hyderabad, and perhaps other parts of India too. It is a spicy curry made with green chillies, or bell-peppers, for those who can't take the heat. But the beauty of the recipe lies in the freshly roasted and ground Masala paste, which gives it that aromatic and authentic taste that is cherished by Hyderabadis! Along with the spice kick, this curry has the unique flavor of ingredients like tamarind, coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, and coriander. It...

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Chewy M&M Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:20:00 +0000

If there are any cookies I like after chocolate-flavored ones, it has to be the classic fat and thick M&M Cookies. They taste lovely, and yet cater to the child within you because of the colorful use of M&M's! I first saw these cookies on Delish, which are adapted from the recipe in the beautiful cookbook called The Cookie Bible, with M&M's and ground pecans, but I'm sure you could easily use chocolate-chips or other nuts. Its a great way to bake goodies with kids or have some fun family time...

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Is your Kitchen Ready for Entertaining?

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Any holiday celebration is incomplete without Cooking & Baking, I'm sure all of you have started gathering and bookmarking favorite recipes for your family dinners! But, after entertaining guests for the last two weekends, and cleaning up my precious Enclume Pot Rack, I suddenly realized that though I have the recipe list ready, I don't think I have all the kitchen tools and utensils needed for the immense amount of holiday cooking that I have planned! Funny, as most of us don't think about the...

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Kadhai Paneer

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:10:00 +0000

If you are craving for a simple yet tasty Paneer recipe that won't take hours of preparation, and which you can savor with Rotis/Parathas/Naans or Rice, look no further. Kadhai Paneer is a healthy, nutritious, protein-rich and almost fat-free Indian curry that will leave you satisfied at the end of your meal. Flavored with kasuri-methi, ginger-garlic and a blend of mild Indian spices, it can be ready in a jiffy and can be a perfect accompaniment to bread or rice for a fulfilling weeknight...

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BBD#18 - Quick Breads Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:20:00 +0000

If you think you are a pro at baking quick breads, think again! With the plethora of recipes that you'll see below, it is enough to challenge any baker, whether novice or pro, to try a hand at some of these tantalizing quick breads, some that you'd never imagined before! With more than 70 recipes to choose from, this round of BBD-Quick Breads has indeed been a fun to host for me, and this post is definitely being bookmarked. Thanks once again to Zorra, for giving me this opportunity, and to all...

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Paneer Tikka with Mango Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Tandoori Paneer Tikka - the name itself makes my mouth water!! Succulent cubes of paneer marinated and grilled or baked in a "tandoori oven", then served with grilled vegetables, is enough to tempt anyone on earth. But this time around, inspired by combining the Indian and Asian tastes in one dish, I have tried a variation which still uses a spicy yogurt marinade, but the final Paneer Tikka is then served hot, drizzled with a home-made sweet and tangy mango dressing, and serves to be a perfect...

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Pineapple Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:56:00 +0000

One of the best ways to enjoy fresh pineapples is to bake cute little Pineapple Muffins out of them! Next to Blueberry Muffins, these have got to be my favorite snack. I love Pina-Colada, os I decided to combine the great flavor combo of Pineapples and Coconut to bake these baby cakes, that are delicious and filling, and don't take much preparation. You can zest them up by adding orange, lime, or even spices, but I love them as they are, with a hint of coconut essence, fresh pineapple cubes,...

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Choosing and Pairing the Best Wine with your Food

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Whether its a festive holiday, or a simple dinner with friends, when you are hosting an event, it is always special. Entertaining can be really fun and satisfying when you know what you are serving, and that you have done your best to make great food and serve the best drinks! Holidays are a time to be a bit more extravagant and indulge yourself in a few luxuries. So naturally, there is bound to be some Wine and Champagne at the table. A meal will always be more enjoyable if paired with a great...

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Announcing BBD#18- Quick Breads

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:55:00 +0000

After a long hiatus, its time to stir things up a bit on Fun and Food, so I'm proud to host this month's edition of Bread Baking Day! BBD#18 will be fun and challenging, as always, but just to cut you some slack, we choose to have a theme which can accommodate more participants, be they established bread-bakers, or novices trying out their baking skills! so this month, the theme is Quick Breads, which means plenty of sweet and savory options to choose for breakfast, appetizers or sides. But NO,...

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Pasta with Cilantro Pesto Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Weeknight pasta dinners can get a tad boring if you use the same sauce recipes. So to stir things up a little, I decided to experiment with some flavors, which brought up the idea of using cilantro as a base for my pesto-cream sauce instead of basil. Garlic and Cilantro make a great flavor combination, and though I was a little hesitant in how they would blend with the creamy white sauce, I am happy I tried this unique combination, because it sure turned out great! Touched with a hint of...

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Shahi Dum Aloo Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Dum Aloo, also known as Aloo Dum Pukht, is a favored Indian Curry recipe that you often get to see on many restaurant menus, and this home-made Shahi variation is nothing less! Who doesn't like potatoes? especially when they are baby potatoes simmered in creamy & aromatic gravy made with almonds and cashews and flavored with traditional Indian spices! What makes this recipe different and special is the choice of onions, yogurt, tamarind, almonds and cashews as a base for the gravy. With...

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Adadiyapak - Healthy Gujarati Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Anyone who has spent at least a couple winters in Gujarat, would be familiar with the traditional Gujarati sweet called "Adadiyapak". Made with Adad(Udad) Flour, and filled with naturally healthy ingredients, its one sweet that is really good for you and your body! It's especially made in winter, due to availability of ingredients, but nowadays, you can find these at any grocery store around the year. They are filled with the goodness of health and richness of taste, but when they come packaged...

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Spinach Pasta with Roasted Garlic & Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:53:00 +0000

There's nothing like a plate of spinach pasta served as dinner on a weeknight, especially when its smelling of garlic and looks as pretty as this one! Improvising on my previous recipe, I made these again last night, albeit with a few delicious changes. Cherry Tomatoes, of course were the star ingredients, but I went ahead and added a paste of roasted garlic, pine-nuts and some sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce, which gave it a wonderful flavor! This time, I also went for lightly roasted tomatoes...

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Chocolate Nutella Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Can you imagine the divine taste of Nutella, all wrapped up in a dark chocolate layer and packaged as a decadent cookie?? If you haven't started salivating already, I'm pretty sure you will, as soon as you lay your hands on these truly delicious Nutella Chocolate Cookies! After devouring endless Nutella crepes in our recent trip to France, I thought it would be great to bake some cookies with Nutella! and of course, there can't be christmas cookies without chocolate, at least for me, so I...

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Puff Pastry Paneer Pinwheels

noreply@blogger.com (Mansi) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Appetizers are a great way to entice guests at a party, or when you call friends for a brief chit-chat. And if you are looking for ideas, these deliciously good-looking Paneer Pinwheels(Palmiers) may just be the the starters you were searching for! Made with Pepperidge Farm's Puff Pastry sheets, they are extremely simple to assemble, and need no preparation time, except thawing the pastry sheets. I made mine with the ever-fascinating Paneer, Cilantro Pesto, or chutney, some herbs, seasonings...

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