Saturday, December 31, 2011

Honey roasted nuts...

A super nutritious & yummy munch! Plus, gets done in a jiffy! What else could one as for in a snack, eh?.. ;)
You need:
a handful of almonds*
a handful of cashews*
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp chilly flakes**
salt to taste
Note:
*U could use any nuts - cashews, almonds, pistachios, peanuts - take ur pick! :)
**Skip the chilly flakes or add more according to taste
How to:
Roast the nuts(plain) in the oven/in a wok till crunchy. Take care to ensure that it does not burn. Stir constantly if you are using the wok. Keep aside.
In a wok, add the butter, honey, flakes on a low flame. Once this starts to bubble, add in the nuts and turn the flame on to high. Stir well to coat evenly till the syrup is absorbed. I added only a small pinch of salt since i used salted-butter.
Once the syrup is absorbed completely, transfer the nuts onto a plate, spreading evenly so that they do not stick together in a lump as they cool. You could store this in an air-tight container or gobble up right away! ;)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Cauliflower in a creamy sauce...

You need:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
1 cup milk
2-3 tsp cheese spread - heaped
2 cups of cauliflower florets
2 tsp powdered pepper
salt to taste
How to:
Microwave the cauliflower florets in salted water till they are done but crunchy (about 6-8 minutes should do). Meanwhile, heat the butter on a low flame in a wok. Once it melts down, add the flour and keep stirring till it cooks. Ensure that it does not form lumps or burn. On a low flame, add the milk slowly - stirring continuously. Add the pepper & stir in. Drain the cauliflower & throw it in the white sauce, mixing so that they are coated well. Let this bubble for a bit till you get a thick sauce. Adjust seasoning accordingly. I use salted butter & since the cheese spread is salted, it needs only a tiny pinch of salt. NjOy!! :)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Stocking-ed flowers...

Made these flowers using stocking cloth. A colleague taught me the yellow ones & i experimented with the red ones the day i saw something similar at a fair... ;)
Taped a stick from a coconut frond & used it as the stem for the red flowers.

Coconut / Palm sepals décor... ;)

Coconut sepals have always fascinated me...From the time we were little & rolled baby coconuts beneath our feet lightly till the sepal came off as a bowl and were used to serve soup(ahem.. muddy water ;)) when we played guests...the removed coconut, with a stick poked through wound up as tender-coconuts being served... :D

I always thought that they would make amazing decorative pieces. But got to really using them only recently. Dried open sepals from a coconut can be varnished and stuck up in a vase. You could paint them too!
Palms trees have similar sepals - much larger - thatz what i have used here. Herez what i used them for - candle holders! :)Pick up the dried ones (u'll find a lot of these beneath coconut/palm trees) - clean with a dry brush/cloth and splash on some paint. I used enamel paint that you use on gates, windows etc - works out real cheap & has a glossy finish. For the bigger 'flowers', i used broader scented candles & tealight candles for the smaller ones. Works great for any festival or a cozy candle-light dinner too!... Reuse as many times as you like, changing colors if you need to match up your surroundings.
Need some change? Splash some color at the core, paste this 'flower' to a stick & pop it in a vase. I used the aerial roots of a Banyan tree to mount the 'flowers'. :)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Praline...

This onez been inspired by MasterChef Australia - frankly, the only MChef show that T & me loved! Gazed longingly at the pralines that topped many desserts at the show.. n guess the longing was strong enough to push me into making a batch to top our desserts as well... especially the ice-cream servings! :)
The bitter sweet crunch.... mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! ;)
Crushed them lightly to get a broken-glass feel...

Mushroom masala...


You need:
1 pckt - White button mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
2 medium sized onions - diced
a big pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium sized red tomatoes - diced
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
salt to taste
a bunch of corriander leaves - chopped
How to:
In a wok, heat the oil & add in the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, throw in the cumin seeds & the finely chopped green chillies.
** You could substitute the green chillies with a mix of green & red chillies, chilly flakes & powdered pepper - which is what i normally do.
Now add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric a little salt and sauté till it browns, taking care not to burn them. Add in the tomatoes & mix well, adding the soya sauce. This helps in breaking the tomatoes & making them mushy. Add the garam masala and cook till the tomatoes make a sauce-y like appearance. Add in the mushrooms, stir well and cook till done - checking for salt. Add the corriander leaves a minute or two before you turn of the flame, mix well & leave covered till you serve. Goes well with rotis, rice, toast... almost anything! :)
Pointers: Mushrooms have good water content & so adding water might not be necessary. You could still add about 1/2 a cup to 1 cup of water if you think it is too dry.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Friday, December 16, 2011

Chewy Choco-Coconut brownies...

Was planning to make some brownies for T to take along as an after-lunch treat... the dessicated coconut lying around was screaming at me to be picked up &... in they went! ;) Chewy, moist n yum!!!
You need:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3-4 heaped tbsp Bournvita
How to:
In a plastic/glass mixing bowl, take all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, Bournvita, coconut) and mix well. Now add the milk and stir in. Slowly add the oil and mix well with a plastic spoon till incorporated.
Pour this mixture into a well greased baking tin(sprinkled lightly with flour) and bake at 250 deg C for 5 minutes, lower the heat to 180 deg C & bake further for 10-15min or till done.
I packed them for T's workplace with a drizzle of Hershey's chocolate syrup on top and some crispies... :)

Thursday, December 1, 2011