Fried Cheese Sandwich

She is totally vivacious, boisterous and she's got a heart of gold. She also has a humour that would totally crack you up. When two women get together, especially if its someone you love...it could just mean only one thing....plain and pure "Gurl Fun". Thats what Jen did to me..she took a day off at work and we spent time together like there's no tomorrow. 

And for an evening snack we had some bread and cheese with a twist ..devoured it all...we needed more energy to continue our non-stop yapping and non-stop laughing.
I'm also sending this across to Divya for the event Sunday Snacks: Healthy Snacks

Ingredients:
Brown bread - 10slices
Britannia Slimz Cheese Slices - 5
Gram flour - 125gms
Water to make the batter
Salt to taste

Sandwich each cheese slice between two slices of bread and halve them into triangles. Make a thick batter using the gram flour, salt and water. Dip each triangle, coat well with batter and deep fry till golden brown.

Honey Ginger Tea

I can have this anytime of the day, although I love the ambiance at Barista Creme located at the Leela Palace to enjoy this cuppa...my husband and I enjoyed this over a sunrise from our very own balcony today.

I also know of a friend who absolutely loves this tea...couldn't help think of him as we consumed this soothing rather invigorating beverage. BJ this is to you!

Ingredients: 
[Serves - 2]
Ginger - a whole piece, cleaned and sliced into thin slices with the skin
Honey - 2tbs
Hot water - 2cups
Black tea - 1/3rd cup (I used Lipton Yellow label)

Into two cups, pour the honey and then put the sliced up ginger and let it sit for about 5minutes. In the meantime boil water. Pour the hot water into the cups about three fourth full. Then spoon in black tea to fill the cups, stir and enjoy!

Rava Dosa and Red Chilli Chutney

It had to be a different type of dosa this time...tried a version of rava dosa ~ simple and satisfying with chutney.

Ingredients:

Plain Flour - 1cup

Semolina - 1cup

Yogurt - 1cup

Rice Flour - 1cup

Jeera powder - 2 tsp

Green chilies - 3-4 nos chopped

Coriander leaves little chopped

Curry leaves a few

Water for the batter

Oil for cooking

Salt to taste

Mix maida, rava and flour together. Add jeera, green chilies, curd, coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt mix with enough water to make dosa batter. Keep it aside for 2 hrs. And onto a hot tava, spread the batter to make dosa, and serve hot with chilli coconut chutney.  

Red Chilli Chutney

Ingredients:

Dry Red Chillies - 4

Coconut grated - 1cup

Shallots - 2 chopped

Salt to taste

Water

Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp

Curry leaves a few

Shallots - 1/2tsp sliced

Roast the chillies into a frying pan till light brown colour. Grind the chillies, coconut in a dry grinder to a smooth paste and then liquidise it with shallots and water. Temper the mustard seeds, curry leaves and shallots and pour over the chutney.

Pancakes with Maple Syrup

It's easy to whip up, no effort involved and yet filling enough for a Valentine day breakfast.

Ingredients:
All purpose Flour - 2cups
Baking Powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1 1/2 to 1 3/4cups
Granulated Sugar - 3tbs
Salt - 1/2tsp
Eggs - 2 large
Vegetable Oil - 2tbs

Mix all the ingredients to make a smooth batter. If the batter seems to be too thick add in little more milk. Pour scant 1/4cup batter onto a hot griddle and cook until the bubbles break on the surface and the edges turn dry. Turn and cook on the other side for a minute till golden brown. Serve warm with maple syrup, honey, jam,whipped cream, butter and some sliced up fruits.

My Cuppy cake~Chocolate Cupcakes

A sweet makeover for Valentines day. This was a treat strictly reserved for my family.

Am sending these muddles of love to Divya for her event the 'Best Chocolate Cake'

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 1 1/4cup
Granulated Sugar - 3/4cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1/4cup
Baking soda - 1tsp
Salt - 1/8tsp
Water - 1/2cup
Plain Yogurt - 1/2cup
Vegetable Oil - 1/4cup
Apple Sauce - 1/4cup
Egg white - 1
Instant Coffee - 1/2tsp dissolved in 2tbs hot water
Vanilla Extract - 1 1/2tsp

Preheat oven to 175 C.Line 8 cups of standard muffin mould and spray with oil. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl with a fork. Combine water, apple sauce, oil, egg white, coffee and the vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat till well combined and smooth. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake till wooden pick inserted comes clean, which should take about 25-30minutes. Cool completely and serve.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I waited till my mum tried this dish and said that it worked well with Appa. Thus took the steps to proceed on this same recipe trusting it would do the same wonders to the husband and brother. And it very well did!!


Ingredients:

Packed brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Ketchup - 1/2cup
Lean ground beef - 1 1/2pounds
Milk - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 2
Salt - 1 1/2tsp
Black pepper - 1/4tsp ground
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Ground ginger - 1/4tsp
Ground garlic - 1/4tsp
Finely powdered Marie biscuits

Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour at 160 C or until juices are clear.(Although I reserved about a quarter cup).

Chocolate Mousse~ a chocoholic Fav

I have been wanting to make this dessert for quite some time, initially I had freez-ed on Sunitha's recipe which required cream cheese, which still remains a quest for me in Bangalore city. I resorted to this specific recipe from Purple foodies~Shaheen as the muddle of chocolate looked so tempting in her little heart ramekins. I banged on it more than anything as the ingredients were easier to procure. I still haven't given up on Sunitha's recipe. But for now its this version of it. I do not have ramekins and thought of wine glasses of presenting my mousse, because that's how exactly I was served a chocolate mousse at Nithya's (good friend and ex-classmate) place for lunch hosted many a time. The mousse in the wine glass gives it a totally elegant appeal to a perfect dinner party that I'm hosting too.

Ingredients:

Semi sweet chocolate - 225gms chopped

Unsalted Butter - 75gms, cut into 6 pieces

Eggs - 3 large separated

Sugar - 1/4cup

Whipping cream - 1 cup

White chocolate shavings

In a large bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth. Beat egg yolks and sugar with your electric mixer until thick enough to form a ribbon that takes a few seconds to dissolve — this will take about two to four minutes to achieve. Whisk yolks into chocolate mixture. Into a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they just hold soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream and beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Transfer to 8 (4 ounce) ramekins and sprinkle with the white chocolate shavings. Let the mousse set in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

Tip: The mousse will keep for upto two days in the refrigerator.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Cake

8 year old Faham was to come to my house for a sleep over, why? because he so fell in love with my three year old hyper active son. He pleaded and begged that he come over. I was instantly touched and delighted at the request and thus baked this cake for adorable little Faham.

[adapted from Deeba's Blog Passionate about baking]
Ingredients: 
Butter - 200gms room temperature 
Eggs - 4 large
Granular sugar  - 1 cup (or vanilla sugar)
Plain flour -
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tbs instant coffee
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan. Sift together the two flours flours, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one by one beating well after each addition. Beat in essence and coffee, and continue beating till the coffee dissolves which would take about 1-2 minutes. On low speed, beat in the flour, bit by bit, till well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Turn into prepared pan and bake into a preheated oven for approximately 1 hour / till done.at 170 C. Leave in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn it out on rack to cool completely.