Torview

Egg appetizers

2012-01-28T11:02:00.006-05:00

6 eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds ground

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt to taste

Italian seasoning to garnish

Hard boil the eggs, cool and then peel the eggshell.

Cut the egg vertically into two, it helps if the egg is cool. Carefully remove the yolks and put it in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, ground yellow mustard seeds, salt and pepper. Mix everything till it is a smooth paste. Put the mixture into an icing bag with 1M or 2D tip and pipe inside the egg whites.

Garnish with Italian seasoning. And serve at room temperature or chilled.

Libre glass'n poly tea review and event with a giveaway

2012-01-24T20:40:00.016-05:00

Libre tea glass'n poly, is a lovely way to enjoy your loose tea on the go. You can carry this in your bag and have your favourite hot beverage anywhere, anytime.

There is a stainless steel strainer that keeps even the finest tea leaves out of your mouth. Use soap and warm water to clean.

The interior is made of glass, and the exterior is poly (which is thermoplastic that is shatter resistant). It is BPA free and doesn't leak. It will keep the tea hot and the glass is cold to the touch. This is amazing because I almost thought the tea is not hot, although it was; so handle with care. Keep this away from children and do not use in the microwave.

Check out this video that explains how to enjoy this Libre tea glass in two different ways.

It is eco-friendly to use loose tea than using tea bags. We all have heard the benefits of drinking tea i.e. it has antioxidants that neutralize cells, prepares immune systems to fight infections, lowers risk of kidney stones, heart disease, weight loss, helps the tooth enamel and increase metabolism.

Libre tea glass'n poly would be a perfect gift to give for valentines' day :) Even if you are not a fan of tea, you will love this Libre glass to enjoy your favourite beverage hot without worrying about it becoming cold. You can buy it online and from many stores in Canada and USA.

I am glad I got the opportunity to tell you to about this fabulous Libre glass'n poly. Thanks to the sponsors you also have a chance of winning this libre tea glass'n poly (holds 9 oz).

This giveaway ends on February 6th and is open to Canada and USA.

Please do follow Libre tea on Facebook and twitter. You can also follow me on Facebook and twitter :)

To enter please leave a comment (if you don't have a blog make sure to leave your email address).

Tea time snack event

-Please put a link to this event on your post and add the logo.

-The event is open to everyone in the world :)

-Link up a sweet or savoury to have with tea (I will add the images)

-New posts are preferred, however archived posts are welcome.

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5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16.
17. 18. 19.

Purple cabbage curry

2012-01-22T20:14:00.011-05:00

Hi friends, here is a review of uKloo a fabulous game for early readers and a recipe with just 3 ingredients Maple puffed rice delicious to serve as snack or breakfast.

Purple cabbage curry

1 1/2 cups cabbage cut into thin slices

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds *

2 tbsp onion

1 tsp garlic

1 tbsp curry leaves

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk *

* I used yellow mustard seeds, you can also use black mustard seeds.

* Can use coconut milk or regular milk.

Heat oil add mustard seeds then sauté onion, garlic and curry leaves. Add the cabbage with the spices and stir fry. When the cabbage is tender, add the milk and cook for about a minute.

Serve as a side dish.

This goes to Siri's healing food cabbage at Zesty palette and winter vegetables

Plasma car review and giveaways

2012-01-20T13:34:00.023-05:00

I had a wonderful opportunity to review this plasma car. It is an awesome ride. The only thing needed to ride this car is, energy and a mood to have fun.

Didn't ride on this flooring, just for the purpose of pictures

Everything on the car is controlled by the steering wheels. There are NO batteries, gears or pedals. It is easy to assemble, as the instructions are straight forward. The car will hold upto 120lbs on uneven surfaces and 220lbs on smooth surfaces. I love the sleek design and the attractive choice of bright colours that are available.

It is recommended by the designers to ride the car on smooth floors. We used them on hardwood floors because it is freezing outside and there is snow :) So far, nothing happened to the floor and there were no scrapes.

Children and adults will have to learn to share ;) and patiently wait for their turn to ride the car. It is easy to spend hours of fun moving around in this car.

We are eagerly waiting to try it outdoors in the Summer.

Plasma car is generously sponsoring 2 cars to giveaway.

Giveaways are open to USA and Canada and ends on January 31st.

To enter the random draws to win the plasma car:
Please like Plasma car on facebook and twitter.

Leave ONE comment. (Please make sure there is a contact email on the comment, if it is not linked to your profile or site. So I can reach you if you win.)

I will be drawing one person from Torviewtoronto and one from Createwithmom).
You can also like Me on Facebook and Twitter, this is not a requirement for the giveaway but I will appreciate :)

Beef curry with cashews and coconut

2012-01-17T13:15:00.016-05:00

Friends, Check out this recipe for nei paniyaram and a game that will (might :) bring memories.

For the meat curry with cashews and coconut

1 to 2 tbsp oil

3 tbsp onion

4 tbsp tomato

1 tbsp curry leaves

1 aniseed flower

1 tbsp garlic

2 cups beef or mutton cubed with or without bones

3/4 tbsp chillie powder or more to taste

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp garam masala

1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp tamarind pulp in 1/4 cup water

1 cup water

2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1 tbsp cashew nuts crushed to a powder

Mix the meat with the spices and leave aside, it doesn't need to be marinated.

Heat oil, sauté onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, aniseed flower. Then add the meat with the spices. Add the tomato and tamarind to the meat and mix well. Add the water and cook covered in medium low heat till the meat is well cooked and soft. Can use a pressure cook.

Add the coconut and cashews after the meat is well cooked. Cook uncovered till the water evaporates. Serve hot with rice or bread.

This goes to MLLA #43 and savoury sunday.

Cardamom pastries

2012-01-12T18:35:00.014-05:00

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cardamom ground

4 oz butter melted or sunflower oil

4 oz milk boil and cool

oil to fry

icing sugar garnish

Mix the flour, baking powder and cardamom. Then add butter or oil and make like a crumble. Pour milk and knead till the dough is smooth. Make walnut size balls. Then roll into a 3" log and shape it into a crescent.

Heat oil and deep fry till it is golden brown. Drain and toss the fried pastries in icing sugar.

This Al salooq is adapted from the book The middle eastern kitchen by Ghillie Basan. This goes to cook with spices cardamom and tea time snack.

Cucumber salad

2012-01-09T16:32:00.014-05:00

1 cucumber

1 tomato

2 tbsp onion

1 green chillie

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1 to 2 tsp lemon juice

* Adjust all the ingredients to taste.

Cut the cucumber and tomatoes into thin slices. Chop the onion and green chillie.

Mix the sugar, salt, pepper, green chillie, lemon juice together and pour it over the cucumber and tomatoes. Leave it for about 15 minutes and serve as a side dish.

This salad goes to veggie/fruit a month cucumber event, healthy hearty recipe, souper sunday and kids delight colour palette.

Oatmeal biscotti baked in TFX baking sheet

2012-01-05T22:33:00.004-05:00

1 cup oats

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon ground

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 cups dark molasses

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup toasted nuts

1/2 cup raisins

Toast the nuts until fragrant and keep aside. Grind 1/2 cup of the oats to make a fine flour.

Whisk oat flour, oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Whisk egg, molasses and oil separately and add this to the dry ingredients with a mixer on low speed. Mix the nuts and raisins till combined.

Turn out the dough on a floured surface and divide it into half. Shape two 16" x 2" logs and place 3" apart in a baking sheet.

If you want regular size biscotti shape the logs to 14" x 4".

Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, rotate the baking tray once while it is baking. Bake until the logs are golden and firm to touch. Transfer the logs with the baking sheet and cool slightly for 5 minutes.

Reduce the oven heat to 250F. Remove the logs carefully place it in a cutting board and cut 1/2" thick diagonal slices and arrange the slices cut side up on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti till it is dry and firm to touch about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the biscotti cool completely on the rack.

The biscotti hardens after removing so don't over bake. Can keep for about 1 month in an air tight container, if it lasts :) Serve as a tea time snack.

Recipe inspired by the book Craft of baking and goes to bizzy bakes.

It was very easy to bake these biscotti using TFX baking sheets, because I didn't have to deal with the hassle of removing the parchment paper and then replacing it again to re-bake the biscotti. After baking the biscotti, I wiped the sheets with a wet cloth and the baking sheet is good as new.

The TFX sheets are made in Sweden. It doesn't allow anything to stick to it. It is very durable, reusable and convenient as it doesn't need to be greased; which also has lots of health benefits.

Nothing sticks to it which saves time and money. It doesn't transfer smell or taste, so sweets and savouries can repeatedly be baked or cooked on these sheets. This environmentally friendly product reduces waste of aluminum and wax paper. Restaurants are also using these sheets.

The TFX sheets are used for stove top cooking i.e. by placing it in a frying pan and making omelettes without using grease. It can be cut or trimmed to fit baking trays or cooking pans. It can also be used as an oven liner. It is microwave and dishwasher safe.

Don't use sharp utensils that will scratch the surface. Wash with light soap or use a paper towel to wipe. And make sure it doesn't come in direct contact with flame.

Once you use this product, you will never want to use anything other than TFX baking sheets so do check it out and give it a try.

Chocolate beet cake

2012-01-02T14:24:00.011-05:00

1 1/3 cups self rising flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cups sugar

9 oz beets cooked and pureed

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup oil

icing

1/4 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp beet juice

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, then stir the sugar.

Puree the cooked beets in a blender and remove the juices with a strainer. Leave the juice aside for the icing. Add the beet pulp, eggs, vanilla, oil and blend in a blender till it doubles in volume. Pour the beet mixture to the dry ingredients by gently folding with a spatula.

Pour the batter into an oiled and lined 9" baking pan and bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much on the edges cover the top with an aluminum foil by making a large hole in the centre to let the steam out.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes in the pan. Then leave the cake in a rack to cool completely before putting icing.

Make a thick icing and spread it over the cake by letting it to drizzle down the sides of the cake.

This soft delicious cake recipe is adapted from the book Bake and decorate and goes to the New u event, ABC series dessert and cooking concept chocolate fest.

Almond cream

2011-12-31T09:32:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you.

4 oz almonds without skin, grind to a smooth paste

2 cups milk

1 oz rice flour mix with about 3 tbsp milk

4 oz sugar

2 tbsp pistachios or coconut ground to garnish

Boil the sugar and milk. When the sugar dissolves, add the rice flour paste and almond paste. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes until it thickens. Cool in individual cups.

This recipe is from The middle eastern kitchen by Ghillie Basan.

This recipe goes to celebrations 2011

Jewellery organizer and bracelet

2011-12-28T17:27:00.004-05:00

This post is about a perfect solution for all of us that are trying to be organized.

GemGini is a jewellery organizer which is creatively designed. It is slim, neat and has strong magnets that can attach easily in the inside of cabinets. It could also be fitted on doors, armoires or anywhere that is convenient.

This organizer saves lots of time when we are in a hurry looking for jewellery. And makes it easy to keep the jewellery in one place for every day use.

It has a mesh like plastic net that makes it easy to hang earrings, two sides have hooks for chains and necklaces. The bottom part has a soft foam roll to place rings and small earrings. There are hooks on the bottom to place bracelets.

This GemGini jewellery organizer will be enjoyed by all girls and women and it is available at Bed bath and beyond and Amazon.

Here is a homemade bracelet that we made using beads and gimp string. It is easy and fun to make your own bracelet, enjoy.

Sweet semolina banana Æbleskiver snack

2011-12-26T18:11:00.022-05:00

1 cup semolina cream of wheat (rava)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup flour

2 tbsp coconut fried in 1 tsp ghee

1 cup ripe banana mashed

1/4 tsp cardamom ground

1/2 cup jaggery syrup or treacle *

oil to coat the pan

* I used palm treacle, can substitute with brown sugar.

Soak the semolina in the water for 1/2 hour. Add all the ingredients to the soaked semolina and make a thick batter, the batter should not be pourable.

Heat the aebleskiver pan in medium high heat, when it is hot put 1/4 tsp oil and brush the sides. Then put batter to fill the holes and cook. When it is easy to turn, turn it with a wooden skewer and cook the other side. Serve it warm.

This paniyaram recipe is adapted from here.

I bought this reasonably priced Lodge pro-logic aebleskiver from Amazon. It is made in the USA, cast iron is pre seasoned which makes it easy to use. As the pan and handle is made with cast iron, it is better to use a glove to hold the handle.

I washed it with hot water, as it says not to use soap or detergent. I also avoided using metal tools, instead turned the snacks with a wooden skewer. I coated the holes with oil, using a silicon pastry brush and didn't have to use too much oil to make these snacks.

Sago coconut cookies

2011-12-19T21:02:00.014-05:00

Happy holidays to all of you.

1 cup sago

1 cup brown sugar *

1 cup fresh coconut grated

1 cup bread crumbs *

* Can use white sugar as well, colour of the final cookies maybe a slightly different colour

* Can use fresh or store bought bread crumbs

Mix all the ingredients by hand till it comes together. This needs a little bit of work :) so leave it a side for a little bit, wet hands or add two tablespoons of water to the mixture to make balls. Add the water only if needed, this will depend on the moisture in the breadcrumbs and coconut.

Make small balls the size of ping pong balls and press so it would be about 1/2 inch thick. Place in a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a 300F preheated oven. Remove from the oven when it is lightly golden and leave it in the tray.

It is important to remove the cookies from the oven after 10 to 12 minutes even if it looks soft and is not brown because it will harden. Store in an airtight container, don't refrigerate.

These sago coconut cookies goes to yeastspotting, christmas delicacy, cook eat delicious coconut dessert, jingle all the way, sinful delights.

Eco friendly Fantastic Antiplastic dishes and bread pudding

2011-12-16T15:31:00.017-05:00

These Fantastic Antiplastic dishes are made with biobased material that come from American grown corn. These dishes are made in the USA. The bioplastic is made with a polymer which is produced by microbal fermentation of sugar and therefore doesn't have BPA, phthalates or PVC.

It is dishwasher safe, heat resistant and durable. The dishes are pending approval for microwave use. If a knife or cutter is used on it surface, it will scratch just like other plastic. It is fully biodegradable in 2 to 3 years compared to ordinary plastic that will take 500 years and still leave toxic chemicals in the environment.

I like that this type of products are a step towards stopping the destruction of our planet. Thank you Zoe b organic for introducing us to this colourful, sustainable, high quality and functional dishes that look and feel like plastic but safer for the environment and us.

My children love the shape of these durable dishes. Check out Createwithmom and follow the site for more children friendly food, crafts, product reviews and giveaways.

Bread pudding

2 cups of bread cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

1 tbsp cinnamon

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp butter

sugar and fruits to garnish

Beat the milk, eggs, cinnamon and brown sugar together. Place the bread in a baking dish and pour the milk mixture over it. Press the bread so the milk with soak the bread. Cut the butter into small pieces and layer it over the bread. Bake at 375F for 20 to 25 minutes until the bread pudding is cooked, golden and springs back.

Serve warm or cold with fruits and a sprinkle of sugar.

This bread pudding goes to Yeastspotting and breakfast club bread.

Dinosaur birthday cake

2011-12-12T17:00:00.026-05:00

This birthday cake is made for my little guy.

One recipe of chocolate cake baked in a heart shape pan. Cut the heart shape from the middle into two, put some icing in between and attach it together. Place the cake over the cake board by putting some icing on the board. I used a homemade cake board.

For the chocolate cake:

I used the same recipe as the butter cake but instead of 1 1/2 cups flour I used,

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

One recipe butter cake baked in a circle shape pan.

I carved each shape of the dinosaur with a knife. I made stencils by drawing the shapes on paper first. This way there is no waste and I used up all the cake.

To cover the body I used chocolate buttercream and dusted with cocoa powder. I added some sprinkles to add some friendliness and colour to the dinosaur body.

For the eyes, I used chocolate fudge with a little bit of royal icing and peppercorn.

Oreo cookies for the mouth and the rest was dusted on the cake board.

For the claws I dipped one side of the cashew nuts in melted chocolate.

For the spikes I cut marshmallow into triangles then dipped in melted chocolate.

The cake board is decorated with green tinted desiccated coconut and crushed oreos. To finish up I made this decorative tree.

Check out Smorgie for a list of restaurants. The site is easy to use when trying to find places to go for a night out, meet clients, or to find local eats when traveling.

This is an easy way to keep a list of restaurants and recommend it to friends. It is free to join it, all you do is sign up with your email address.

This sponsorship is brought by Smorgie.com who have partnered with foodieblog for this promotion.

I am excited to have been visited by the fairy hobmother on this special day to receive a gift card. Check out the Induction technology cooking appliance. It saves money in the long run and uses magnetic fields to heat the base and sides of compatible induction pans. The hob itself is cool to the touch for safety reasons, it is easy to clean and has a child lock. There is a video on the site that explains it well.

Dear friends who are following Torviewtoronto and Createwithmom, Hobmother will visit one of you soon :)

Rice flour buttermilk savoury fritters

2011-12-05T20:08:00.022-05:00

1 cup rice flour

1 cup sour buttermilk

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

3 green chillie

1 tbsp curry leaves

1/4 tsp salt to taste

1 1/2" oil to fry

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil fry mustard seeds, green chillie and curry leaves. Add the sour buttermilk and salt then bring it to a boil and remove from heat. Add rice flour and mix well without any lumps.

When it is warm to handle, grease hands and make a small lime sized ball. Flatten it then make a hole in the centre.

Deep fry in hot oil and serve warm as a snack.

Buttermilk vada recipe is adapted from here and goes to snack mela.

Avocado mousse pudding

2011-12-01T20:23:00.007-05:00

1 ripe avocado

1 1/2 cups (1 tin) evaporated milk

3 tbsp vanilla infused sugar *

2 1/2 tbsp gelatine

2 tbsp hot water

pistachios to garnish

In a blender beat the avocado, evaporated milk and sugar until it is smooth. In a bowl dissolve the gelatine in hot water and add it to the avocado mixture continuously stirring.

Put into serving cups garnish with pistachios and chill in the fridge for at least an hour or more before serving.

* Increase the amount of sugar if needed.

I tried using the vegetarian version of agar agar instead of gelatine but it doesn't work as well because the pudding doesn't become spongy.

This recipe goes to Lets cook for Christmas event.

Green plantain curry

2011-11-28T20:58:00.009-05:00

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp onion

1 tbsp curry leaves

1" rampe or pandan leaf *

1/2" cinnamon stick

1 to 2 cardamom

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp ginger grated

2 tbsp tomato

1 to 1 1/2 cups plantain or cooking banana cut into slices

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp cumin seeds crushed

1/2 tsp fennel seeds crushed

1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil, sauté the chopped onions with curry leaves and pandan leaf. Then add ginger, garlic, spices and the plantain. Mix it without breaking the plantain. Add the tomatoes and cook in low heat covered until the plantain is cooked. Remove from heat and serve as a side dish with rice.

This goes to veggie/fruit a month plantain event.

* Pandan leaf is rampe. It is sold fresh, dried and packaged or frozen. If you can't find omit the pandan leaf for this curry.

Bombay biryani

2011-11-25T23:17:00.011-05:00

There are two giveaways that ends December 15th: Please check and leave a comment on the posts if you are interested and want to win.

Fun kits to bake with children for the holidays.

Camelina oil a healthy oil with lots of benefits.

A good offer for the holidays if you want to Learn the secrets of professional photographers check this out.

1 1/2 cups basmati rice soak for 1/2 hour

1 tbsp salt

water 1" above the rice level

Cook the rice separate with 1 tbsp salt in water about 1" above the rice level. Cook until more than half cooked, remove from heat and drain the water if there is any.

2 tbsp ghee or oil

2 cups meat cut into cubes

1 cup onion

1 cup tomatoes

1 cup potatoes cut into cubes

1 tbsp ginger grated or paste

1/2 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 cup yogurt whipped

2 tbsp biryani mix *

1 1/2 cups water *

Heat ghee or oil and fry the onions till golden. Then add the tomatoes and fry till it softens. Add meat, ginger, garlic, potatoes, yogurt and biryani mix. Fry for about 10 minutes then add 1 1/2 cups water and cook on low heat till meat is tender.

* If making chicken reduce the amount of water to 1 cup and cook covered. Increase the heat and make the gravy thick.

Spread the cooked meat and curry in a pot then layer the rice, make two layers. Cover the pot tight and cook on low heat till rice is fully cooked. Mix before serving.

This rice can be served with raita yogurt salad.

* Recipe adapted from Shan Bombay biryani packet. It is sometimes convenient to use these types of spice mixtures that has lots of flavour.

Apricot chutney

2011-11-20T16:50:00.011-05:00

1 cup dried apricot chopped

2 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp fennel seeds crushed

1/2 tsp cumin seeds crushed

1/2 to 1 tsp chopped green chillie

1 tsp ginger grated

3 1/2 tbsp or more sugar to taste

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds ground

Soak the chopped apricots in hot water for 1 hour and leave it aside. Reserve the water to cook with.

Heat the ghee, add the crushed fennel and cumin seeds. When it crackle add the green chillie and ginger. Sauté the apricots for 2 minutes, then pour the reserved water enough to cover the apricots. When it comes to a boil reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the apricots are mushy and water evaporates.

Add the sugar, vinegar and cardamom. Remove from heat and let it cool before putting it in a jar or serving.

Updated Serve chutney with rice, bread and flat breads as a side.

Recipe adapted from the book Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen by Vineet Bhatia.

Pizza with homemade tomato sauce

2011-11-13T17:04:00.007-05:00

for the dough

2 cups flour

1 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

water to knead very little if needed

Mix everything together and knead into a smooth soft dough. Leave the dough aside to double about 1 to 2 hours depends on the humidity etc :)

* If you are not using instant yeast, froth the yeast and sugar with about 2 to 3 tbsp warm water.

I use the same dough to make savoury baked buns.

for the sauce

2 cups tomatoes

1 tbsp oregano optional *

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp onion

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 cup minced meat *

1/4 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp turmeric

Heat oil sauté onion, garlic and minced meat. Add tomatoes, spices and salt. Cook until the sauce is thick, if adding oregano add towards the end.

* Other types of herbs, that you prefer can be substituted.

* If vegetarian make the sauce by sautéing onions, ginger and garlic. Then add the tomatoes with the spices and let it simmer till the sauce is thick.

for the topping

1 cup cheese grated

1/4 cup red pepper

1/4 cup green pepper or jalepeno

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup tomato

1/4 cup mushroom

1/4 cup pineapple

* the toppings can be anything you prefer, use some or all of the suggested.

Roll the dough and prick all over it with a fork. Then put the prepared sauce and put some cheese over it before putting the toppings. Put more cheese over the toppings.

Prepare a pizza stone with olive oil and cornmeal. Bake at 400F for 10 to 15 minutes till the bottom of the pizza is golden brown.

This goes to yeastspotting.

Jaggery flan

2011-11-06T15:04:00.012-05:00

This jaggery flan made with coconut milk is famously known as wattalappam, made for festivals and celebrations.

It is Eid-ul-Adha today, Eid mubarak to all the friends.

6 eggs

1 cup jaggery melted in 1/4 cup water in a saucepan *

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup thick coconut milk *

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder optional

2 to 3 cloves optional

1/2 tsp vanilla optional

1 to 2 tbsp cashew nuts optional

* Can use a small container of coconut milk, make thick coconut milk with coconuts or use equivalent amount of coconut milk powder to make thick milk.

* This flan will taste good only with Jaggery, the colour of the flan will depend on the quality of jaggery. It won't be tasty with brown sugar. Jaggery or gur, also known as panela will be available in Indian/ Sri lankan or Latin American grocery stores.

Melt the jaggery with 1/4 cup water and let it cool, if the jaggery is soft grate or crush it without using the water.

Beat all the ingredients in a blender. Strain the mixture at least twice using a thin sieve and discard the foam, pieces of the spices and jaggery that doesn't go through the sieve. Put the mixture into a heat proof bowl or aluminum bowl.

Put 2 cups of water in a large pan and place the bowl inside where the water bath is reaching about 2/3rd of the bowl. And cover the pan with a tight lid.

Steam in medium high heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. If adding cashews on top added it in the middle when it is about 5 minutes into the steaming.

Let it cool and then put in the fridge covered for about an hour before serving it cool or at room temperature.

This goes to back to roots and winter carnival.

Panko coated fried chicken

2011-11-03T20:46:00.029-04:00

Dear friends,

Check out the fabulous dishes linked to the food palette series finale rainbow colours. Thank you for participating in the food palette series, please accept this award.

A special thank you to all the dear friends for leaving encouraging comments and following the site. Happy to have friends like you :)

Panko coated fried chicken

8 to 10 pieces of chicken

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

Boil the chicken with turmeric, salt and chillie powder for about 10 minutes till the water evaporates. Reduce or increase the water depending on the amount of chicken and size of the pieces. Leave it to cool.

batter to dip

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Make a batter with a thick pourable consistency.

Dip the cooled chicken in the batter. And coat with the panko breadcrumb mixture.

breadcrumb coat

1 to 2 cups panko breadcrumbs to coat

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all the ingredients. Coat the chicken and keep it ready to fry.

oil to fry

Fry the chicken in a pan with oil 2" high. Fry till all sides are golden brown in high to medium high heat temperature, reduce the temperature if it is getting brown fast. Serve hot with sauce.

There is no need to fry for a long time because the chicken was cooked before it was fried.

This goes to Midweek fiesta.

Flower decorated cake

2011-10-30T16:49:00.010-04:00

3/4 cup margarine or butter *

1 cup sugar vanilla flavoured *

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Beat margarine or butter with sugar until smooth. Then add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Mix the flour with baking powder separately and add it to the mixture, alternating with the milk.

Pour the cake mixture into a buttered lined 8" pan.

Bake at 350F in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan and leave it to cool.

* I use margarine often as it is cheaper, if you use butter for healthy reasons then it is the same amount. If the butter is salted don't add salt, if it is unsalted add 1/4 tsp salt.

* I use sugar that is infused with vanilla; by leaving vanilla beans inside a jar of sugar; over time it will have a perfume of vanilla.

I do not use vanilla essence, if you are using regular sugar add 1 tsp vanilla essence.

The recipe for the cake is from a friend; it is easy and delicious to make. I made 2 cakes in a 10" pan and layered it as I wanted some height.

The flowers are made with royal icing. I used buttercream icing to cover and decorate the border of the cake.

This cake goes to bakefest.

Ivy gourd stir fry

2011-10-23T17:20:00.030-04:00

about 10 to 12 Ivy gourd or tindora or kovaikai

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp onion

1/2 tbsp curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp coconut grated

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp with 1/4 cup water

grind

1/2" cinnamon stick

1 cardamom

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1 to 2 dried red chillie to preference

Grind all these together and keep it ready.

Cut the ivy gourd into long slices.

Heat oil then add mustard seeds. Sauté the onion and curry leaves. Stir fry the ivy gourd with all the spices, coconut and salt, except for the tamarind pulp.

Cover and cook the ivy gourd until it is soft in medium low heat. Add the tamarind pulp and cook uncovered for a few minutes. Serve it warm as a side dish.

This goes to Smita's HCC event hosted by Kavi, Celebration of Indian food and MLLA #41.