May 2014

An All-time Favourite Bread Pudding

By / Desserts, Puddings / 1 Comment /

White chocolate, berries, bananas… What is not to like? Each of them lovely on their own. So what if you put them all together? That is what is happening with this wonderful bread pudding, that I had mentioned a while ago. This was to take to a party that I went to, with some of my friends. The party was indeed great, and I wish I could say the bread pudding was the highlight of the party, but alas… that was the crawfish imported from New Orleans. Of course, the pudding was appreciated very much, and I do think the praise was genuine! 🙂
 
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Actually, this is one dish that I have made for many an occasion and some among my friends are all time fans of it.
 
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The berries that you use for this pudding can be any dried berries, like cranberries or blue berries. Or even dried cherries. In the cooking process, they absorb the liquids and swell up to become twice their original size. And the bananas are cooked with butter and brown sugar before being added to the mix so that their flavour really spreads through the whole pudding.
 
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A variation that you can try with the bananas is to add some dark rum to the butter-brown sugar-bananas mix and flambé it, before adding the whole thing into the pudding mix. It adds that extra oomph to the dish. Though the alcohol will be totally evaporated through the flambéing, it is better not to use the rum if children are going to partake of the pudding.
 
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A key factor to the success of this pudding is allowing the bread pieces to thoroughly soak in the liquids. Leaving the mix aside for a minimum of 30 minutes, an hour if possible, will make the texture silky and smooth.
 
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As this was planned for a party, I prepared this pudding in a disposable aluminium foil baking pan. These pans with lids are a blessing when you need to carry stuff around.
 
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Of course, I had also made two little ones in ramekins for taste testing. It is not advisable to take anything to anyone before testing it yourself. Believe me, I’m saying this based on some pretty painful experience… from days long gone by. 😉
 
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And the best part of making this pudding? Boy, your home will be filled with the sweet fragrance of freshly baked bananas and chocolates for a long time! This is one time I would not light candles to eliminate food smells… it is that great!

 

~Ria

 

An All-time Favourite Bread Pudding
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
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Ingredients
  • 6 cups bread cubes
  • 6 oz white chocolate chips
  • 3 bananas
  • 1 cup dried berries (cranberries, blue berries or cherries)
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter a 9 x13 inch baking pan.
  3. Cut the bread slices into ½ inch cubes.
  4. Slice the bananas into thin pieces.
  5. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and 1 cup brown sugar (leaving ¼ cup sugar aside).
  6. Add the cream and milk to the eggs and beat well.
  7. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix thoroughly.
  8. Slowly add the berries, chocolate chips and bread cubes and stir together.
  9. In a heated pan, add the butter, banana slices and the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar.
  10. Stir and cook till the banana slices start losing their firm shape.
  11. Stir into the pudding mix.
  12. Pour the mix into the buttered baking pan.
  13. Place in the center of the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  14. Insert a skewer in the center of the pudding and if it comes out clean, take the pudding out of the oven. If raw batter is sticking to the skewer, bake for another 10 minutes and check again.
  15. Check the bread pudding cool on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting into squares for serving.

Potato Salad – the Taste of Summer!

By / Potato, Salad, Sides / 2 Comments /

Finally… summer is officially here! Today is Memorial Day… the starting of beach days and spaghetti tops and sangrias and salads! A season embodied by that Nat King Cole song I love… ‘Those lazy crazy hazy days of summer… of soda and pretzels and beer…’. And of course disagree with the last line, ‘You wish that summer will always be here…’ I’m sure no one would give summer a second thought if it was always here! Okay, okay, I digress, that is topic for another post. 🙂
 
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So talking about summers and salads, what would you consider the most basic salad? For me, it is potato salad. I can never get tired of it, especially as it can be prepared in many many variations. In fact, I’m sure each person will have their own favourite version of it.
 
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Generally, I do not like mayo in my salads as it feels a bit heavy. So for potato salads, I prefer a mix of sour cream and lime juice. And a spot of melted butter to give it a bit more creaminess. Of course, the butter can be totally omitted without any noticeable impact, and most often I do so.
 
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As a rule, I use red potatoes for making a salad. Even though the potatoes are peeled, I like to leave one or two unpeeled so that you get a glimpse of the red skin here and there. Looks pretty!
 
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And I do have a secret ingredient which gives the potato salad a very nice tingly bite… celery seeds! Just a pinch is sufficient to give the salad that added taste of freshness. And of course, if you want to give it some additional kick, you can always go with finely minced pickled jalapenos!
 
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Potato salad looks very pretty served on lettuce leaves. My favourite for this purpose is iceberg lettuce. The leaves sure add a delicious crunch to the salad. And don’t forget that lemony sangria to complete the lovely summer feeling!
 
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~Ria

 

Potato Salad – the Taste of Summer!
 
Author: 
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Ingredients
  • 8 red potatoes
  • 3 spring onions
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp butter, optional
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp celery seeds
  • 4 ribs celery
  • 1 orange and 1 yellow bell peppers
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Peel 6 of the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into ½ inch cubes, two of them with skin on.
  2. Boil the potatoes in salted water, till done. Drain and keep aside.
  3. Thinly slice the spring onions, white and green parts,
  4. Finely chop the celery.
  5. Cut the bell peppers into very small cubes.
  6. Mix together the boiled potato pieces, spring onions, lime juice, butter (if using), dill, sugar and celery seeds. Cover and keep aside till time to serve.
  7. To serve, add the celery, bell peppers and sour cream to the potato mixture and mix well.
  8. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ready to serve!

Mediterranean Summer Bread Pudding

By / Entrée, Vegetarian / 2 Comments /

This Sunday, I have a party to go to. And I’m planning to make a bread pudding with lots of lovely stuff – white chocolate, bananas, cranberries – in it to take along. But then, that is only on Sunday… and people have to eat till then, right? I was not in a mood to go food shopping in the middle of the week. Looking in the refrigerator, I realised I had bits of different cheeses that I needed to use up. But how? And remember, I had bread pudding on my brain… voila, the end result is this Mediterranean summer bread pudding!

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Why Mediterranean summer? One thing I wanted in the dish was baby spinach… always have it on hand. So we have assorted cheeses and spinach. What goes with that? Of course, olives and lemon! The combination reminds you of a lovely Mediterranean summer, doesn’t it? 🙂

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This dish would shine with feta cheese as stated in the recipe, but I used an assortment of cheeses, the leftovers from earlier recipes… a bit of gouda, bit of mozzarella, and even a bit of brie. And of course some pecorino on the top. It tasted so yummy!

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Once I arrived at the theme, the rest was easy. Add the standard spices that go with the cuisine… allspice, cumin, red chilli flakes, and oregano.

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You can make this with white bread as well, but of course, whole wheat bread is always better*. Whichever bread, make sure that it gets ample time to soak up the juices, before you pop it into the oven.

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Finally, I like to grease the baking pan with butter. If you prefer, you can use olive oil for this purpose.

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* Hey, doesn’t that sound like a slogan? “Whole Wheat Bread is Always Good!”

 

~Ria

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Mediterranean Summer Bread Pudding
 
Author: 
Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Ingredients
  • 6 large slices whole wheat bread
  • 1 cup baby spinach, tightly packed
  • 5 artichoke hearts, thinly sliced
  • 12 black olives
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp allspice powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp shredded pecorino cheese
  • Unsalted butter to grease the pan
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree fahrenheit and butter a 9 inch baking pan.
  2. Cut the crusts off the bread slices and cut them into ½ inch cubes.
  3. Cut the baby spinach finely.
  4. Slice the artichoke hearts thinly.
  5. Slice the black olives into thin circles.
  6. In a large pan, mix together the bread cubes, spinach, artichoke hearts and olives. Make sure that the vegetables are not wet so that the bread doesn’t get soggy.
  7. Transfer the bread and vegetable mix to the buttered baking pan and spread evenly.
  8. Spread the crumbled cheese evenly over the bread mix.
  9. Beat the eggs well with the milk. Add olive oil, lemon zest and juice, allspice and cumin powders, red chilli flakes, and oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
  10. Pour this mixture over the bread and cheese.
  11. Keep aside for 30 minutes to allow the bread cubes to soak in the liquid.
  12. After 30 minutes, gently press down the contents of the pan and sprinkle the top with the pecorino cheese.
  13. Loosely cover the pan with aluminium foil and place in the heated oven.
  14. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for another 10 minutes or till the cheese starts to get brown spots.
  15. Slice and serve with a tomato salad on the side. A semi-dry white wine goes well with this Mediterranean summer bread pudding.

 

Zucchini Carrot Bread for Breakfast

By / Bread, Greens / 1 Comment /

Recently, I have started going to zumba classes. I mean, how could I not join? The classes are being held in the ground floor party hall of Condoville. That means that I can walk down as-is, literally. And it is being held after work hours. And all my friends are going… Enough reasons, right? And it is very enjoyable, indeed. The trainer An-hel has been in the fitness business for 20+ years and really knows what he is talking about. So when he suggested that I enhance my almost non-existent breakfast to make it a bit more substantial, I considered it an idea worth trying. And so far, it has been going good.

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So these days, I’m looking at healthy breakfast options. Not the routine stuff, but something a bit more attractive… which doesn’t take a lot of time in the morning. Going through my recipe files, I came across this breakfast bread… slightly on the sweet side, and choke full of veggies. Seemed like the perfect solution, and when done, the zucchini carrot bread turned out to be exactly that.

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This is a basic recipe for a simple cake, made interesting by the addition of grated zucchini and carrots. And flavoured with spices and yes, orange zest, which is my favourite! The good thing about this recipe is that it is very flexible. You can add as much of the veggies as you like to the mix. That is what I did. Added twice the quantity of vegetables when I prepared it. Only, it will add to the denseness of the bread. But for breakfast, I really do like that.

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In the recipe, I have provided the standard measurements. If you really want your zucchini carrot bread light and airy, go with those measurements. On the other hand, if you want to make it into a healthy option, don’t be afraid to increase the quantity of the vegetables.

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Another flexible part, is the sugar. You can use the quantity provided in the recipe and you will have a fairly sweet bread. But I prefer my breakfast foods just with a touch of sweetness. So I halved the sugar. And believe me, it turned out perfect for breakfast.

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And the orange zest… that is exactly what gives this bread that morning quality, that jolt of freshness that gets you ready to face whatever the day brings along. So don’t be stingy with that, I would say.

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And finally, I used a flat shallow pan as I did not want too thick slices. The zucchini carrot bread can be baked in a deeper pan if you would prefer thicker slices.

 

~Ria

Zucchini Carrot Bread for Breakfast
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup grated zucchini
  • ¾ cup grated carrots
  • 1 ½ tbsp orange zest
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Mix together the dry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  3. Beat the eggs and sugar together.
  4. Add the oil to the mix and beat well.
  5. Using a flexible spatula, blend in the grated zucchini and carrots, and the zest.
  6. Add the flour in batches and mix together. Do not overmix.
  7. Fold in the chopped nuts, if using.
  8. Transfer the batter to a buttered pan and bake. Baking time will vary depending on the depth of the pan. When a skewer inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean and dry, the zucchini carrot bread is done.
  9. Enjoy with a good cup of coffee!

Rice Crispy Treats

By / Snacks / 1 Comment /

While I was clearing my kitchen store cupboard I found a bag of marshmallows long forgotten. So I kept them aside and waited for my girls to come back from university for the holidays to make some rice crispy treats. I just wanted to bring back those fun filled days when we used to make these sorts of snacks quite often.  My younger daughter was the one who insisted that I should go and get the recipe for rice crispy treats from a “big book” when she was in Year 2. They were learning “how to write instructions” as part of their literacy curriculum and she wanted me to make them for her right away.

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According to Wikipedia, Rice Krispies Treats were invented in 1927 in the USA by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day at the Kellogg company home economics department.

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Rice Crispy Treats are a sweet snack made from rice cereals, melted butter and marshmallows. There are many variations to this treat – like replacing marshmallows with caramel or adding condensed milk to the mixture or adding chocolate chips, nuts etc. This is a snack equally liked by both children and adults and is so simple that even a novice can make

Care should be taken not to burn your palms when the mixture is being packed into the prepared tin. A silicone spatula can be used to do that.

~Min

Rice Crispy Treats
 
Author: 
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Ingredients
  • 40 grams Butter +1 tbsp to prepare the tin
  • 150 grams Marshmallows
  • 2 cups Crispy Rice Cereal
Directions
  1. Butter a 9 inch square baking tin.
  2. Heat the butter till it just melts in a thick bottomed pan.
  3. Stir in the marshmallows and heat till it’s melted.
  4. Remove from heat and add rice cereal and mix well.
  5. Transfer into the buttered pan and pack well using a spatula.
  6. Leave it to cool and cut into squares.

Blackened Tilapia – a page from a Creole Cookbook

By / Entrée, Seafood / 2 Comments /

Originating in Louisiana, the Creole style of cooking combines the European cooking methodologies with the local American ingredients. Though it has influences of Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian cuisines, the major inspiration comes from the French. The blend of classical European cooking styles with new ingredients found in the New World gave rise to a very rich and flavourful cuisine.

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Also, as it is centered around the bayou region of Louisiana, Creole cooking has a strong focus on fish and shell fish, which makes it even more attractive.

The first Creole cookbook in English was La Cuisine Creole, published in 1885, which is available from Amazon in printed and Kindle editions. In addition to recipes, the books provides information on the background and development of the cuisine as well.

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Jambalaya, Gumbo, Etouffee, Bananas Foster… the signature dishes of the region are many. And just the memories of them are enough to induce drooling.

With its flavour combinations that lean towards the spicy, it was love at first taste for me!

And watching Emeril Lagasse on Food Network TV made it easy to kick it up a notch too! In fact, his ‘Louisiana Real and Rustic’ is my go-to reference for Creole cooking. Though the other day, when I wanted to make blackened tilapia, I did not have to refer to any book; I have made it so many times!
Blackened fish, is a quintessential Creole dish, very easy to do, usually made with catfish. But you can attempt it with any firm white fleshed fish. This time, I made it with tilapia fillets.

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The key part of the dish is the spice rub – a combination of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and other herbs.

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I have tried different spice combinations, but the one that worked to perfection for me has an wee bit of clove powder in it which adds a bit of extra flavour. (See recipe below.)

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You need to let the fish sit for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour, after applying the rub. And totally against the traditional method, where the fish is fried at high heat, I baked it on an aluminium foil lined baking sheet.

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It couldn’t have been better! Flaky, spicy, moist fish, done in 15 minutes!

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~Ria

Blackened Tilapia – a page from a Creole Cookbook
 
Author: 
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Ingredients
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp clove powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 tilapia fillets
  • 1 tsp olive oil
Directions
  1. Mix together thoroughly well all the spices and dried herbs, with the salt. You can vary the proportion of paprika and red chilli powder to adjust the heat to your preference.
  2. Wash and dry the tilapia fillets.
  3. Apply the spice rub on both sides of the tilapia fillets and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
  5. Line a baking sheet with foil. Brush the foil with a teaspoon of olive oil.
  6. Lay the fillets on a foil, without overlapping.
  7. Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  8. Gently test with a fork. If the fish begins to flake, it is done.
  9. Serve with brown rice and vegetables.

Mango Mousse

By / Desserts, Other sweet stuff / 1 Comment /

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The light, airy and creamy mousse is a dessert I like to serve at dinner parties as it can be made ahead of time, be served in individual helpings and you can also make many variants to cater to the taste of guests. Mousse with the freshness of mangoes is one I just couldn’t resist.

In Uganda, mangoes are available throughout the year so I didn’t have to depend on preserved mango puree or canned mangoes. Since the mangoes I’d bought were not very sweet, I added a quarter cup of condensed milk while the mango pulp is made. Condensed milk certainly enhanced the taste but I felt it made the mousse slightly denser.

Mousse in general is a little tricky to make. Beaten egg whites and whipped cream should not be stirred in but has to be folded in with care so that the cream and egg whites don’t get deflated.

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Cream should be removed from the refrigerator just before whipping to avoid it turning into butter. Overbeating will also result in butter. Using an ice bath is also not a bad idea if the room temperature is too high.Adding a quarter of a teaspoon of cream of tartar to the egg whites before beating helps in stabilising the beaten egg whites.

To avoid last minute stress, it can be made sure that the mousse sets perfectly by adding a teaspoon of gelatine to the mixture prior to transferring it into individual bowls and chilling. Shot glasses are a good choice to serve mousse of various flavours.

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Mango mousse can be garnished with fresh mango pieces or some piped rosettes of freshly whipped cream.

~Min

Mango Mousse
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
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Ingredients
  • 4 cups Mango pulp
  • ¼ cup Condensed Milk
  • (Only if mangoes are not sweet enough)
  • 2 Egg whites
  • ⅛ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 2 tsp Powdered sugar
  • 1 cup Whipping cream
  • ¼ cup Castor sugar - powdered
  • (Check the sweetness of the cream before you add the sugar)
  • 1 tsp Gelatine
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • 1 tsp Mango essence (optional)
  • To garnish
  • Fresh mango bits
Directions
  1. Peel the mangoes, remove the seed and cut into pieces. Make mango puree using a food processor. If the mango is fibrous strain the pulp. Add the condensed milk if required and mix well.
  2. Add cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites and beat till soft peaks are formed .Add powdered sugar and beat till stiff peaks are formed.
  3. In a separate bowl add whipping cream, sugar and mango essence (optional). Beat until stiff peaks are formed. This might take 4-5 minutes.
  4. Soak gelatine in 1 tablespoon water in a small heat resistant bowl. Hold it over hot water till it melts.
  5. Transfer the mango pulp into a large bowl. Add the melted gelatin and stir well. Now add the whipped cream in two or three batches and fold in gently.
  6. Now add ⅓ of the beaten egg whites into the mango cream mixture and mix through. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold in. Avoid over mixing.
  7. Pour into individual serving bowls and garnish as you prefer.

Quesadillas for Cinco de Mayo

By / Entrée, Greens, Poultry / 2 Comments /

Cinco de Mayo… is not an excuse for margaritas! In fact, it commemorates the against-all-odds victory of the Mexican army against the much larger French forces of conquest at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Though the victory in the battle did not lead to victory in the war, it served as a morale booster and matter for pride for the Mexican army and people. Interestingly, that war was the last time a European power invaded any country in the Americas!

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Today Cinco de Mayo – Spanish for ‘fifth of May’ – has come to signify a tribute to Mexican heritage and pride and is celebrated widely in the United States and in Mexico. Usually parties with awesome Mexican food drink and music…

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When you want to go Mexican in terms of food, there is plenty of choice. And all of them are sooo good! This year my choice is quesadilla, but of course, with a twist.

Quesadilla is one of the quintessential Mexican dishes. One of my favourites to make as well, because of the variety one can work with it. And I’m certain that the quesadilla as it originally was hardly resembles its modern version.

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Essentially, a quesadilla is a tortilla stuffed with cheese and various fillings and folded and heated through to form a half moon shape. The cheese is the one constant ingredient, as attested by the ‘queso’, cheese in Spanish, in the name itself. And it is always some type of melty cheese. A combination of cheddar, Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses works well. Or any one of them alone will also work. Pre-packed Mexican blends available in the store makes it super easy.

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I decided to stick with one traditional variety this time… South Western with traditional filling of corn, red pepper, and onions flavoured with cumin.

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And three variations! A Vegetable Medley for my veggie lover friends, a Tikka Chicken for those who like it hot, and a Sesame Chicken for the spicy-not-hot bunch.

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Once all the ingredients were ready and chopped, and it’s a lot of chopping, believe me, assembling each one was the fun part. And they are so yummy hot off the griddle, with a cooling side of guacamole, salsa or cilantro-lime-sour cream.

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Guacamole is something that goes well with a lot of things, especially of Mexican origin. Only problem is, it gets over so fast!

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And of course, accompanied by margaritas before and after…

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Just wondering… whether the French celebrate Cinco de Mayo… 🙂

~Ria

Recipe for Quesadillas

  • 10 whole wheat tortillas
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 lbs shredded cheese, combination of pepper jack and cheddar or a Mexican blend

Note: Recipe for fillings follow.

1 Heat a flat griddle, on medium heat.
2 Brush with olive oil.
3 Place a tortilla on the griddle.
4 Sprinkle cheese liberally all over the tortilla.
5 Place the filling of your choice on one half of the tortilla.
6 Carefully fold the other half over, and press with a spatula to seal.
7 Turn over and cook the second side.
8 When both sides are somewhat crisp, transfer to a plate and cut into four wedges.
9 Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

 

South Western Filling

  • 1 cup whole corn kernels
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 cup tomatoes, fleshy part chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, minced
  • A pinch of cumin powder
  • Salt to taste

Mix ingredients together and place over cheese on the tortilla on the griddle.

 

 Vegetable Medley Filling

  • ½ cup potato, cut into small cubes and boiled
  • ½ cup carrots, shredded
  • ½ cup broccoli, only the crown chopped
  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • ½ cup red pepper, chopped
  • ½ cup red onions, chopped
  • ½ cup black olives, sliced
  • ¼ cup cilantro minced
  • 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos, minced
  • salt to taste

Mix ingredients together and place over cheese on the tortilla on the griddle.

 

Tikka Chicken Filling

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp chicken tikka masala powder (available in Indian grocery stores)
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • A pinch of turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp paprika or a mix of paprika and cayenne
  • 1 tbsp crushed garlic
  • Salt to taste
  1. Cut the chicken into small bite size pieces.
  2. Mix with all the spice powders, sour cream and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven on the broiler setting.
  4. Line a flat pan with aluminium foil and lay the chicken pieces in a single layer.
  5. Broil on the top most rack of the oven for 10 minutes.
  6. When done, remove from the aluminium foil and cover and keep till ready to use.

 

Sesame Chicken Filling

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • Salt to taste
  1. Cut the chicken into thin strips.
  2. Slice the green leafy parts of the scallions.
  3. Marinate the chicken pieces with the soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped onion and garlic, chilli flakes and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  4. Heat a pan and when the pan is hot, add the sesame seeds.
  5. When they have spluttered completely, add the marinated chicken. Stir together. Cover and cook.
  6. When the chicken is done and the liquids are evaporated, add the sliced scallions and take off the heat.
  7. Keep in a covered container till ready to use.

 

Vanilla sponge cake with chocolate frosting

By / Cakes, Desserts / 1 Comment /

Although I make frosted cakes occasionally, birthday cakes are not really my forte. So when I had to get a birthday cake for my friend’s son, I decided to improve my skills and make one myself. It had been a long while since I last made a birthday cake, the last one I remember baking was a three layer cake for my daughter’s birthday a few years ago.

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The birthday boy’s craze was strawberry this season. So I decided to make a two layer vanilla sponge with white butter icing and lots and lots of fresh strawberries. Since the tastes and preferences of 8 year olds are prone to changes, I wasn’t surprised that he changed his mind and opted for a chocolate cake instead. But I had already baked the vanilla sponge when I came to know about his new preference. So the initial plan of white butter icing was changed to chocolate frosting. I made this cake when I was in Kerala and the summer was at its peak with almost unbearable levels of heat and humidity. I could only do the frosting at night and still had to make many trips to the refrigerator to keep chilling the icing and cake before I could finish frosting the cake.

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For the vanilla cake I used a mixture of 2 ¼ cups of all purpose flour and 6 tablespoons of corn flour. This makes the cake very soft. Since the frosting adds to the sweetness of the cake, the quantity of sugar mentioned in the recipe can be reduced by ¼-½ cup. The quantity of ingredients mentioned is enough to make two 9 inch cakes. I used the creaming method for this cake. Butter and sugar are beaten together till it becomes creamy and light. Then the eggs are added one at a time and beaten well. While making cakes the flavouring agent (vanilla essence, in this case) should always follow the eggs to get rid of any odour of the eggs.  Then the sifted flour and baking powder mixture is added in small batches alternating with milk and beaten well.

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For the chocolate frosting I used milk chocolate as the cake was for an eight year old but dark or semi-sweet chocolate could also be used instead.  I had to make sure the frosting gets a smooth spreadable consistency. The consistency of the frosting is very important which can be adjusted by the addition of more milk. If the frosting is too thick, spreading it will be difficult and will also tear the cake and if it’s too thin it will run. If the cake is too soft to handle leave it in the freezer for 30 minutes before frosting. To avoid any mess around the cake while assembling on the serving plate insert narrow strips of aluminium foil under the cake on all four sides. Once the frosting is done these foil strips can be carefully pulled off.

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I certainly needed a shot of caffeine after the hard work.

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~Min

Vanilla sponge cake with chocolate frosting
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Cake
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Ingredients
  • For the cake
  • All purpose flour 2 ¼ cup
  • Corn flour 6 tbsp
  • Baking powder 1 tbsp
  • Strawberry fruit flakes ¼ cup (optional)
  • Sugar (powdered) 1 ¾ - 2 cups
  • Unsalted butter 1 cup @ room temperature
  • Eggs 4
  • Pure Vanilla Essence2 tsp
  • Milk 1 cup
  • For the frosting
  • Chocolate 1 cup (broken into pieces)
  • Butter 1 cup (at room temperature)
  • Icing sugar 4 cups
  • Milk 2-4 tbsp (use as needed)
Directions
  1. Cake
  2. Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
  3. Prepare the pans by buttering and flouring two 9 inch cake pans. Lining the bottom of the pans with butter paper/ parchment really helps in releasing the cakes from the pans once done.
  4. Sift the flours and baking powder together.
  5. Cream butter and sugar using an electric beater or wire whisk.
  6. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Once the eggs are incorporated add vanilla essence.
  7. Now add the flour and milk in small batches and mix well.
  8. Divide the batter equally between the two prepared tins and bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or till a cocktail stick inserted comes out clean.
  9. Leave the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes to cool. Remove from the pan and cool it on a wire rack.
  10. Frosting
  11. Melt the chocolate pieces by keeping it in a bowl over simmering water and stir well.
  12. Once it’s almost melt remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
  13. Beat butter and icing sugar together till creamy.
  14. Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
  15. Add milk little by little till it reaches the required spreadable consistency.
  16. Assembling
  17. Place one cake on the serving plate and spread some frosting uniformly on the cake.
  18. Place the second cake on top of the frosting (with the bottom side facing up) .
  19. Now cover the cake with the remaining frosting.
  20. Pipe a border around the top edge of the cake and decorate with slices of strawberries and silver balls or whatever you fancy.