Pecan Treacle Tart

Tip: If you're not a fan of pecans, you could substitute it with wlanus

A Sweet Punch~ Chicken Quiche

The best quiche I have ever had is the one Freeda Aunty used to make. It was on my list of bakes to try out a quiche, and the sweet punch roll out their dish for September, making it all savoury with a quiche. An excellent choice!

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

Maida -200g

Butter (frozen) -100g (preferably unsalted)

Baking powder-1/4 tsp

Salt-to taste

Beaten egg-1

Ice cold water-as required ( which will be a few drops)

Sieve maida ,salt and baking powder together. Grate in the butter and mix it with the flour with your fingertips till it resembles coarse sand. Add in the beaten egg and water and gather it into a soft dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface and lift it up carefully and line the tin that you will be baking it in.If it breaks up and you need to do a patch work, big deal! It wouldn't be seen outside.Which ever tin you are using, make sure the dough comes a little way up the sides, so that it can hold the filling in. 

Filling:

Boiled and shredded chicken-1/2 c ( you can substitute it for paneer or other veggies of your choice)

Onion-250 g ,chopped

Milk-1 c

Cheese-100g (cheddar will work fine)

Beaten eggs-3

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil- as needed.

Heat oil and slightly fry the chicken/paneer til it is golden brown. Add in the onions and fry till onions have caramelized. Switch off the flame. Add milk, cheese, beaten eggs, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 25 mins or till golden brown. Let it cool in the tin completely . Serve it in wedges.

Brinjal Bake

Not that Brinjal is our favorite vegetable, but after this bake, we have quite acquired the taste for this purple veggie..

Ingredients:
Brinjal - 500gms
Potatoes - 500gms
Onions - 3 large finely chopped
Tomatoes - 4 large blanched and pureed
Spring Onions - 2tbs finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 finely chopped
Garlic paste -1tsp
Corn flour - 2tsp dissolved in a little water
White pepper - 1tsp
Soya Sauce - 1tsp
Tomato Chilly Sauce - 3tbs
Butter - 1tbs
Milk - 1/4cup
Sugar - 1tsp
Processed Cheese - 2cubes (Amul)
Salt to taste

Into a pot of boiling water, boil the potatoes till soft. Peel and then mash using milk and butter to get a spreadable consistency. Slice the brinjal into thin roundrels, shallow fry them and keep aside. Into a wok, saute the garlic paste, onions and chillies for 2-3minutes. Also add the sugar while sauteeing the onions. Then add tomato chilly sauce, soya sauce,white pepper powder and tomato puree and bring to a light simmer. Tip in the corn flour mixture and cook for a minute or two. Then add the spring onions, lightly toss them in the sauce. Taste and check for seasoning, add salt only if required.Remove from the flame and keep aside. Into a greased baking dish, firstly layer the potato, then arrange the fried brinjals and then top with tomato sauce. Repeat the layers and lastly grate the processed cheese and bake for 20minutes at 120C.

Late Night Party Snacks

It was my Husband's birthday two days back and my brother and me immediately thought of  a plan to make his day special. We invited about 12 of his friends over and decided on a late night gathering at our home. Since all of them confirmed on a late arrival, which is as late as 10.30pm...I could only think of some snacks to keep us all alert and awake for the night. My snack menu for the party comprised of Chiken Tikka Cocktail, Stuffed Eggs, Green chutney and Carrot Sandwiches, Cocktail Sausages, Potato chips with garlic and chilly dip, Mushroom and Potato pie, Warm Orange Tea and Raspberry Souffle.

Chicken Tikka Cocktail

Ingredients:
Chicken Tikka - 24 pieces (I ordered this from a local tandoori restaurant and had them home delivered)
Thousand Island Dressing - 1/2cup
Half a Green Bell pepper - diced into cubes

Chop the chiken tikka into small pieces and plop in the thousand island dressing and diced pepper and mix well. Serve immediately. This can be refrigerated and used for a sandwich filling for the next day as well.

Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients:
Hardboiled Eggs - 24 halved lengthwise
Cheese spread - 4-5tbs
Mayonnaise - 1/4cup
Tobasco Sauce - a couple of dabs
White pepper - a pinch
Onion - one small finely chopped
Small green pepper - finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
Prawns  - 200gms (I used frozen prawns)
Lemon juice - 1-2tsp
Salt to taste
Lettuce leaves

Thaw the prawns. Into a pot, pour water enough to cover the prawns and bring the water toa boil. Once the water the starts to boil, put in some pepper and salt to season. Take the prawns out in 2-3minutes, or else the prawns would become rubbery. After they have cooled a bit, chop them up.

Into a another bowl, using a teaspoon scoop out the egg yolks and add the mayonnaise and mix well. Add the tobasco sauce and white pepper and combine well. Then add in the chopped pepper, onion and prawns and combine again. Taste and adjust the seasoning and then add the lemon juice. Fill each egg white with the filling and garnish with a green pepper and arrange the eggs on to a bed of lettuce leaves.

Mushroom and Potato Pie

Ingredients:
Mushroom - 250gms
Potato - 5-6 diced into cubes
Carrot - 2-3 diced into cubes
Green chilly - 2 finely chopped
Onion - 2 medium sized finely chopped
Garlic - 3-4pods finely chopped
Hot and sweet tomato sauce - 4-5tbs
Salt to taste

For the Bechamel Sauce
Flour - 4tbs
Milk - 2cups
Butter  - 2tbs
Cheddar Cheese grated - 1/2cup
Nutmeg grated - 1/4 tsp
Pepper - 1/4tsp
Salt to taste

Fry the potatoes and carrot and remove onto absorbent paper. Then saute the garlic, onion and chilly. When the onion becomes transparent, add the Hot and sweet tomato sauce and fry for a minute. Tip in the mushrooms and fry till it becomes nice and soft. Add the fried potatoes and carrot and mix well. Check on the seasoning. Empty into a greased pie dish and top with bechamal sauce and grated cheddar cheese and bake for 35minutes at 120C.

For the roux [White sauce/ Bechamel Sauce]
Into a heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter, add in the flour and stir continuously till it forms a soft paste and bubbles. Careful not to brown the roux. Mix in the milk and keep stirring till the roux thickens. Add salt to taste, pepper and grated nutmeg and mix well.

Shepherd's Pie spruced up with Indian Spices

It couldn't be rotis and come curry because we have that every day, I wanted to have a pie, something stimulating, and interesting. So whipped up this with a little difference from the actual by just adding our very own Indian flavors.

Ingredients:
500 gm Chicken breasts (boiled and shredded)
1 tomato chopped
1 onion chopped.
3-4 medium potatoes (boiled)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp sugar
A couple of green chillies chopped
A couple of tablespoons of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese and bread crumbs for sprinkling

Saute onions till they become translucent pink, add the ginger garlic paste and saute well. Followed by the powders till the masala is cooked. Then add the tomatoes, and chillies till all is well done. Tip in the soya sauce, tomato sauce and sugar. Once the mixture is combined well add the shredded chicken and saute for another 2-3 mins.
Mash the boiled potatoes to a spreading consistency using milk, salt, pepper and a bit of grated cheese.
Grease a baking dish and layer the meat mixture as the base and spread the mashed potato on top. Finally sprinkle the breadcrumbs to make that the third layer, and grate cheddar cheese for the topping. Bake for 20 minutes at 120 degree C. Serve fresh from the over with some bread rolls.