Vegetarian Strawberry Panna Cotta with Rosy Strawberry Compote

A very Happy Birthday to us!! Yes, on this day, two years back, I ventured into the world of blogging with a strong passion to explore and enjoy the art of cooking and serving people with love. Little did I know then how drastically my life would change and how far I have reached from being just a homemaker to being a Home Baker and now an instructor too!! That's a long journey that I have covered and there are still miles to go before I reach my destination. Your love and appreciation had brought me here so far and I hope to continue receiving the attention and encouragement in the future too. Keeping with my blog's theme of quick and easy recipes and delicious too, I celebrate this day with another such awesome dessert which is insanely easy to make and equally stunning to look at!! 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup full cream milk

1 1/2 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

1 1/2 cup strawberry pulp made from about 250 gms of stemmed and hulled strawberries (I used my stock of fresh and frozen strawberry pulp)

1/4-1/3 cup sugar depending on your taste

1 tsp vanila extract 

3 tsp agar agar powder (you can also use 3 tsp gelatin powder)

For strawberry compote 

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries washed, hulled and halved

1/4 cup water

3-5 tbsp sugar, depending on your taste 

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rose water

Direction 

Mix the milk and sugar and sprinkle the agar agar on top. Let it stand for 5 minutes until dissolved. Now switch on the flame and while stirring constantly, put the pot of milk on medium flame. If using gelatin, be careful not to boil the mixture. It should be just hot with small bubbles just starting to appear on the sides. 

For gelatin users, make sure the gelatin has dissolved completely and no lumps remain. Check this by taking a bit of the milk mixture in your hands and checking the texture with your fingers. Grainy means a bit more of mixing and heating, but no boiling. 

If using agar agar, you will need to boil the mixture until the mixture is smooth and creamy and slightly thickened. Remember to bring it to boil for just once and that should be good enough to dissolve the powder. 

Now remove from flame and mix in the cream and vanilla. Whisk well. Next add the strawberry pulp and mix again. Check the taste and add more sugar if needed. If adding more sugar, bring the mixture back to the flame and stir constantly till the sugar dissolves. 

Cool the mixture slightly to being warm. Meanwhile, lightly grease the serving bowls, if you wish to unmould. If not, just keep them ready to pour in the cream. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins and chill till set. 

For the strawberry compote, mix strawberries, sugar, lemon juice  and water in a non stick pan and put it on stove top on a medium flame. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning. The mixture will thicken and will have a saucy consistency in about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the rose water. Stir and let cool. Pour this on top of the set panna cotta and chill or serve immediately!!

Irish Cream Eggless Tiramisu

Tiramisu and eggless do not quite sound right and I was apprehensive too. Tiramisu ought to be made with eggs and I was really stressed to think of a way to make it eggless. I was certain that the vegetarians around the globe couldn't let go of such a yummy dessert just because it has eggs. There had to be a way! And sure there was. Again, I wanted to make it little (ok! A lot) boozy for the kick. I decided to follow my own instincts and research on Google and came up with this eggless Italian delight that everyone enjoyed and relished. If you want to skip the alcohol, you can just do it. It only enhances the taste but is not an integral part. Again, if you want to make it boozy but do not have Baileys Irish Creme, you can use white rum or maybe vodka (I haven't used vodka but you sure can experiment) as well. All in all, it was a sheer delight serving this dessert and relishing it as well. It stays good for at least a week in the refrigerator if taken care to keep it covered at all times and using a clean spoon each time.

Ingredients 

1 packet (approximately 22-24) ladyfinger or sponge finger biscuits

350 ml stongly brewed coffee cooled to room temperature  (you may need more as well, so keep it handy)

250 ml bailey Irish cream (can be substituted with white rum)

75 gms castor sugar (increase as per your taste)

1 cup whipping cream 

500 gms mascarpone cheese 

Cocoa powder for dusting 

Direction 

Get the coffee ready and cool it to room temperature. Mix 150 ml of Irish cream into the coffee and keep aside. 

Next, beat the whipping cream and castor sugar to stiff peaks in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese till soft peaks. Fold in the mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream along with the remaining 100 ml Irish cream. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Now take a rectangular 2 liter dish and open the package of lady's finger biscuits ready in another plate. Dip the biscuits in the Irish cream coffee mixture and immediately place it in the rectangular dish, arranging in whatever way you find it best to fit maximum biscuits. The lady's fingers biscuits absorb the cofee mixture too quickly and any longer absorption will result in a soggy liquid base (sharing from my experience). The quicker you can dip and arrange, the better. However, do make sure that the biscuits are dipped evenly on both the sides. 

Once the first layer of biscuits is done, take out the chilled cream and cheese mixture from the refrigerator and spread half of it on top of the biscuits. Level the top with a spatula or butter knife and you may also dust the top with some cocoa powder if you like. Now time for the second layer of biscuits. Repeat the same process as you did for the first layer. Make sure you have equal number of biscuits on top and bottom and preferably in the same sequence. If you fall short of coffee, make a fresh batch and bring it to room temperature before using. Again, spread the remaining cheese and cream mixture on top and level it. Now lightly cover the top and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight. You can prepare this dessert at least 2 days in advance. 

On the day of serving, dust the top with cocoa powder and any other garnishing that you would like and keep it chilled till serving time. 

P.S.: I am sorry I don't have pictures of the steps in between as I wasn't too sure how it will turn out. The next time I make it, I will surely update this post. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. 

Zucchini Mozarella Tart with Sundried Tomatoes

When I was planning my all Italian dinner last week, the dish that troubled me most was this tart. With the restriction of making it eggless, I was completely clueless and could hardly find any ideas which would give the tart some body and not make it look like a pizza. I remembered a tart I had at my Dutch friend's house and I got in touch with her. She was kind enough to help me with the recipe and everything else just fell in place. It was so wonderful to see my guests enjoy the menu and I just couldn't stop feeling proud of myself. 

Ingredients 

1 9" pie crust (I used storebought pie crust mix)

1 block of Mozarella cheese (I used Gouda cheese as I had a block lying with me but mozzarella works equally fine)

1 zucchini cut into thin slices 

1 medium onion thinly sliced 

1/4 cup Sundried tomatoes drained 

Direction

Blind bake the pie crust as per the packet instructions. Blind baking is baking the rolled out dough fitted in the tart pan and pricked with a fork all over so that it doesn't rise up. You can also place a heavy weight like uncooked rajma, chick peas etc. 

Now let the pie crust cool completely before filling. Once cooled, grate the gouda/mozzarella cheese and spread all over the base covering all the corners. Now place the zucchini in circles starting from the outside. Now spread the onion slices similarly in between the zucchini and follow with the Sundried tomatoes and freshly chopped parsley. Finally, cover with another layer of grated Mozarella/gouda cheese and bake in the pre-heated oven at 200 degree celcius for 15-20 minutes till the cheese is melted and slightly golden and the zucchini softened. Keep the tart inside the oven for 5 more minutes after switching off so that the zucchini gets cooked without burning the cheese. 

Serve hot!

Risotto Cheese Balls or Arancini

Arancini is a very Italian snack which is traditionally served on December 13 in eastern Sicily for the feast of Santa Lucia when bread and pasta are not eaten. The dish is believed to have been originated in Sicily in the 10th century when the Arabs ruled. Ever since it has become very popular and now it is served all year through at all Italian joints and is a scrumptious snack to start any party with. Last weekend I decided to go all Italian with my guests and chose the Arancini to start my party with. Since I did not have any Risotto (Italian rice) with me nor did I wish to buy, I substituted it with our regular small grain aromatic rice. I was a bit skeptical about the results but when I saw my guests devouring them, all my fears were put to rest. Serve these with your favourite dip and see your friends and family enjoy them heartily!!

Ingredients 

2 cups risotto or small grain rice (I used aromatic jeera rice)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian seasoned) plus more to coat

2 eggs

1 tbsp garlic finely chopped 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 medium onion chopped 

1/2 cup mushrooms sliced 

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano 

1 tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mozzarella or cheddar cheese cut into small cubes for filling 

1/2 tbsp olive oil plus more for frying 

Direction 

Cook the rice or risotto until 90% done. Do not overcook. Drain and keep aside to cool. 

Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. Fry till slightly browned and then add the chopped onions and fry till soft. Now add the mushrooms and sauté till all the moisture dries up and the mushrooms are slightly browned. Take care that there is no water left from the mushrooms. Let it cool. 

In a bowl, take the cooled rice, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, herbs, fresh and dry, eggs, and salt and pepper and mix well. If you find the mixture too wet, you can add 1 tbsp breadcrumbs more. However take care not to add too many crumbs as the mixture will taste doughy. Make small balls from the mixture and then make a small hole and place a cube of cheese inside and seal from all sides. Roll the ball on a plate of breadcrumbs and arrange on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the balls till golden on all sides. Drain the excess oil on kitchen towels and serve with your favourite dip. 

Garlic Knots

Bread baking is a superb stress buster and very satisfying too. When you see your ball of dough puff up like a mountain in the first rise, your chest also doubles up equally with joy in anticipation of eating something awesomely yummy fresh and hot from the oven. I had hosted an all Italian dinner at my place this weekend and to make it even more enticing, I decided to bake my bread at home to compliment my Lasagna. The bread superseded my expectations in every way right from the first rise, the oven spring to the cottony soft texture!! My happiness knew no bounds and even more so when my guests couldn't stop praising my efforts and the food. 

Ingredients 

3 cups all purpose flour (I used bread flour but APF works equally well)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt 

3/4 cup warm water plus 1/2 cup for kneading 

2 tbsp butter softened 

For the garlic wash

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp garlic finely chopped (depending in how garlicky you want your knots)

2 tbsp parsley finely chopped 

Direction 

Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup warm water (43.3 degree celcius to be precise or till you are able to bear a drop of water on the back of your wrist) and sugar and let it stand till frothy and doubled in volume. 

Mix the flour and salt and add the frothy yeasty liquid to it. Mix with your hands or a spoon until the flour just comes together. It is not required that it forms a dough at this point. Cover and let the dough hydrate for 15 minutes. 

Now add the remaining water little at a time and start kneading the dough. Once the dough starts coming together, transfer to a clean kitchen counter or silicon mat and knead with the heels of your hands till the stickiness of the dough is almost gone. Now flatten the dough slightly with your hands and put 1 tbsp butter on the flattened base and fold in. Bang, fold, and knead the dough with all force till the butter is all absorbed and the dough is smooth with no stickiness. Again roll out the dough with the hands and apply the remaining butter and fold, bang, fold and knead like before till the dough is smooth to touch and and soft and elastic. Oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl and grease it too. Cover and let it rest either in one corner of the kitchen counter or inside the microwave (basically a warm and humid place) until doubled in volume. 

Now deflate the dough and punch down the dough for 2-3 minutes. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and divide the dough into two. Keep one part of the dough in the bowl covered while working on the other. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle of 1/3" thickness. With the help of a knife cut long strips. 

Pick one strip and make a knot (bring both ends together and then push one end into the circle making a knot). Place it on the prepared baking tray. 

Repeat with the rest of the strips and the dough. Place the knots 1" apart as you keep them covered in a warm place for their second rise, about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Singapore is quite hot and humid these days and so it took me just 45 minutes in both the proofings for the dough to rise. 

Pre-heat the oven 20 minutes before the end of the second rise at 225 degree celcius. Now make the garlic wash. Melt the butter and oil together on the stove top and add the garlic. Stir for a minute and then remove from heat and add the parsley. Stir and cool it to room temperature. Now brush the cooled garlic wash generously (but gently) on the puffed up knots. Take care not to deflate the risen knots by hard brushing or hot garlic wash. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 200 degree celcius for 15 minutes or until golden on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and brush again with the remaining garlic wash. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely!

Yeast Free Wholewheat Thin Crust Pizza

Every time I ordered a thin crust pizza at Pizza Hut, I would start wondering what ingredients they use to make it so unbelievably thin, flaky, and crusty and yet holding so well. I tried asking them many times the ingredients/recipe/procedure but would always be turned down saying it was their trade secret. I tried achieving the same results at home but would not come close to what I eat at the joint. 

Today as I set about to make pizzas for my baby's pizza party, I realised that my yeast is dead and cannot be used. I thought and knew for certain that there are yeast free recipes available online and started my search. While most recipes used more or less the same ingredients, there were a few exceptions and after my quick 5 minute research, I decided to create my own. I am so thankful to Mr. Yeast that he did not bloom and gave me this opportunity to bake my most yummy pizza ever and exactly the way I like it. Rest in peace Mr. Yeast! Sorry, but you won't be called for a pizza dough next time as I absolutely love it without you!! 😜😜

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup bread flour (can be replaced with self raising flour/all purpose flour/maida/whole wheat flour) 

1/4 cup raw wheatgerm (optional; I added just to make it more nutritious)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder (or any spice that you prefer)

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tbsp cornflour plus more for dusting 

2 tbsp olive oil plus more for greasing (I used the oil from my can of Sundried tomatoes and it gave a superb flavor to the dough. You can use any oil that you may have from your preserves for maximum flavor; remember, the more oil you use, the flakier will be the crust. I used about 3 tbsp)

1/2-1/3 cup buttermilk or as required for kneading 

Direction 

Take all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Add the oil and mix with your hands. It will resemble bread crumbs. Now slowly add the buttermilk and start kneading a soft but stiff dough. We do not need a wet dough but a smooth one. Towards the end, you can lightly grease your hands to smoothen the dough and soften the dry edges. Cover and keep aside for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven at maximum temperature for 20 minutes. If possible, it is advisable to also pre-heat the pizza stone or the baking tray where you will be baking the pizza to achieve that perfect crust. 

Now take a round/ square parchment paper about the same size as your baking tray/pizza stone and pinch out a rubber ball sized dough. Sprinkle a dash of cornflour on the parchment and place the flattened dough ball on it. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle of about 1/8" thickness or thinner as per your liking. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce/tomato sauce and top it with your favourite toppings. Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese to finish it off. 

Now carefully take out the pizza stone or baking tray from the hot oven and quickly place the prepared parchment with the pizza on it. Put it back into the oven and bake at 180 degree celcius for 10-15 minutes till the cheese melts and the edges look brown. Remove from oven and cut and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining dough or refrigerate for later use. Makes 4 8" pizzas. 

Veg Lasagna Roll-Ups

It was around June last year when we had invited some of my husband's German colleagues for a dinner. Considering their intolerance for spice levels, I decided to play safe and planned an Italian dinner complete with Lasagna et al. So on my holiday to Hong Kong prior to the dinner event, I bought some packets of Lasagna sheets as I wasn't too sure where I could get them here (although I could easily find them in my nearby grocery store later). However, at the last moment, my guests requested to be served an Indian fare as they, surprisingly, loved Indian food and would often eat out in Indian joints. My poor lasagna sheets did not get their due attention ever since and had been staring into my face every time I open my pantry and making me realize that they are soon reaching their expiry date. 

Finally, I got a chance to hold a High Tea get together at home to welcome some Indian friends in my neighborhood and I knew instantly what to serve them! As we were meeting over tea, I did not want to overdo the food and so prepared some lasagna roll-ups instead which are easy to serve, quick to make, good to eat, and perfect for the occasion without giving a mealtime effect!!! I happy, my Lasagna sheets happy, and my guests happy!! 😀

I completely forgot to take the picture of the ready lasagna as I took it out from the oven and served it to my guests. Luckily, there was just one piece left and that made for this picture!! 😛

Ingredients 

8 sheets of lasagna

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

For the sauce

1 1/2 cups finely chopped mushrooms (you can increase or decrease the quantity depending on the quantity of other vegetables that you are going to use)

1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped 

1 big onion finely chopped 

3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped 

1/2 carrot finely chopped 

Handful of peas

Handful of sweet corn kernels 

1 can whole plum tomatoes squashed (if you are using fresh, use 3 medium sized juicy red tomatoes blanched and skin removed)

Red chili flakes as per taste

Salt and pepper to taste 

2 tbsp olive oil 

For the filling 

1 1/2 cup cottage cheese grated/mashed (I used homemade paneer)

2 eggs

2-3 tbsp parmesan cheese 

Chopped fresh herbs like basil/oregano/parsley or similar (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste 

Direction 

Start with making the sauce as it is the most time consuming part and needs to be cooled down before using. 

Heat  oil in a pan and fry the garlic till lightly browned. Follow up with the onions and fry till translucent. Now add the chopped veggies one by one frying for 3-5 minutes after each addition. Lastly squash the tomatoes, either canned or freshly blanched, and add it to the pan. If using canned tomatoes, there will also be some reserved liquid. Add it to the pan. In case of fresh tomatoes, add about 1/4 cup of the water in which you blanched the tomatoes. Stir well and season as per your taste. Do not add too much salt at this point as we need to reduce the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 25-30 minutes till the veggies are all thoroughly cooked and there is just about 3-4 tbsp of liquid in the sauce. As I was making roll ups to go with evening tea or coffee, I did not want to make the lasagna too soupy and make it look like a main course rather than a snack. However, the sauce consistency is totally upto your liking and preference. 

Remove from heat and let it cool. 

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, take the mashed cottage cheese/ricotta cheese and all other ingredients and mix to a smooth paste. Cover and keep aside. 

Now boil some water in a wide pan, wide enough to hold the lasagna sheets without folding and bring it to a boil. Add the sheets and cook it till al dante. If you are making lasagna for the first time, I would suggest keeping a close look as the lasagna sheets are usually available as ready to bake and there is no need to cook them. However, for making the roll-ups this step is necessary. As such, the sheets will get tender within 5-6 minutes. Keep an aluminum foil ready to place the cooked lasagna on top without over lapping and prevent sticking. With the help of a pair of tongs, gently lift the sheets one by one from the water without breaking and place it on the prepared foil.

Let it cool. Now spread the filling on each cooked and cooled sheet and spread it out. Gently roll it up from one end to the other. Repeat for all the sheets. 

 Grease a baking dish big enough to hold all the rolls and spread a layer of the prepared and cooled sauce. Now place the roll ups one by one in a single layer  till all the space has been covered (I forgot to take a picture of this step). Follow up with another layer of the sauce till all the roll ups are well covered and spread out. Top with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. 

If you are baking it right away, then pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius while  you are assembling the roll-ups. If you are baking it at a later time, you can keep it covered with foil in the refrigerator until half an hour before baking. Then bake it in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes till the cheese is bubbling and the sauce looks slightly reduced. Take care not to over bake else you will end up with dry rubbery roll ups. Remove from the oven and let it cool down to handling temperature. Serve warm! Sorry no picture of the final dish! 😔 But I plan to make it soon again and this time I won't forget! 😜

 

Gluten Free Crunchy Quinoa Thin Crust Pizza Base

Pizza is ideally considered as a junk food considering the ingredients that go into its making. However, modern day homemakers know exactly how to work around the ingredients and still enjoy this Italian hot favorite without compromising on the taste or the crunch. Today's pizza base is a good news for all who crave for a pizza but are either too lazy to knead the dough (like me) or too concsious about the calories (again like me). I am head-over-heels in love with Quinoa and today I got a little more crazy about this wonder grain. It is the simplest pizza base you would have ever made!! Trust me!

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley (you can use any spice mix as per your taste)

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste (be careful while adding salt as the pizza sauce will also have some in it)

Direction

Wash and rinse the quinoa thoroughly 3-4 times. This is important to have a bitterless base as quinoa can sometimes turn quite bitter. Now soak the quinoa in sufficient water either overnight or at least for 5-6 hours. I soaked it in the morning for preparing in the night. 

Now again wash and rinse the soaked quinoa 3-4 times and drain the water. Transfer the quinoa into a grinder and add all other ingredients. Grind to a smooth paste and add water only as required to get it smooth. Excess water might prove difficult to get a crunchy base. 

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius on toast mode (both rods). Line a pizza pan with parchment paper and gently spray cooking oil or grease it with your hands. Now pour the batter into the prepared plate and spread out evenly to cover the entire plate. The more thinly you spread the thinner base you will get and more crunchier. However take care not to leave any gaps in between. The batter consistency will be the same as South Indian Vada batter. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes till crunchy and golden on top. Remove from oven. You should be able to see that it is starting to curl up from the sides. Now carefully flip it without breaking and bake for another 5-10 minutes on the other side. If you feel that the base is still quite soft at the time of flipping, bake for another 5 minutes till firm and then flip. Also, adjust the temperature of the oven if you see quick browning. 

Once you pizza base is ready and baked on both the sides, spread your favorite pizza sauce and toppings as desired and bake in the oven for another 5-10 minutes till the cheese starts melting or toppings are done. Enjoy your yummy healthy pizza!

Eggless Torcetti or Yeasted Italian Cookies

I like to bake something new every week for my evening as well as morning tea (most importantly evening) and this week was no different. After a hectic last week and weekend with lots of gift shopping for my upcoming India trip, play dates for my baby and a barbeque party to end with, I wanted to bake something which was absolutely easy and does not take much of my time while still trying out something new. I wanted to do eggless and my Google search landed me with a interesting cookie called Torcetti from Italy. For the first time I saw a cookie with yeast and I knew I had to try this. They are believed to have come from a small mountainous town in North Western Italy. A baker wanted to use his leftover butter and so added it to his last batch of Grissini dough and rolled them in sugar and that is how they were born. The cookies are very interesting with a crunchy crust, a caramalized bottom, and a soft lemony inside. A sure ticket to heaven with your favorite cuppa! 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour plus more while rolling

1 tsp instant dry yeast

40 gms cold butter

1/2 cup lukewarm water (45 degree celsius)

1 tsp+3 tbsp+1/4 cup fine grain brown/white sugar (I used brown)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp lemon zest

1-2 tsp ground cinnamon (may require more)

3 tbsp milk for milk wash

Direction

Dissolve 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp yeast in lukewarm water (a drop feels comfortable on the back of your wrist) and let it stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. 

In a bowl, take the flour, 3 tbsp sugar, salt and lemon zest and mix well. Cut the butter and, either using a hand mixer or with your hands, crumble the flour and butter together till it resembles bread crumbs. 

Now add the yeasty liquid and mix everything well with the hand mixer till it comes together and forms a soft yet firm dough. You may add 1-2 tbsp more flour if you find it too sticky. I added about 1 tbsp. Do not overmix. You do not need to knead it like bread dough. It just needs to  come together into a soft but smooth dough. 

Take a clingwrap and cover the dough properly. You do not need to oil it. Refrigerate the dough from 1-24 hrs. I kept it for 1 full day. The dough rises very slightly even though it has yeast in it. 

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and without bringing it to room temperature, cut into 4 blocks. Roll a dough block into a thin circle on a lightly floured surface. You may need some extra flour while rolling as it might become sticky. However, add only to remove the stickiness and do not over do it. Dust any additional flour if remaining on the dough after rolling. 

Now roll in the circle like a mat. 

Cut this rope into 3-4 equal parts and again roll them out to ropes with the to and fro movement of your hands. 

In a plate mix the 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon and keep it handy. Brush the ropes with a little milk and immediatelt roll them on the sugar cinnamon mixture and bring one of the ends on top of the other to form a "tear". Place this loop/tear shaped dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the rest of the dough. 

You may use extra sugar and cinnamon for rolling if you run out of it. Roll generously on the sugar mix to get a beautiful caramalized crunchy bottom. Let the cookies rest for 20 minutes while you pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius. Take care not to let them rest for more than 20 minutes else you may get more of bread like texture on the inside. The cookies will now look slightly puffed. 

Bake the cookies in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top. For the last 2-3 minutes, you may increase the temperature to 180 degree celsius with only the top rod to get a more golden shade. 

Cool on a wire rack completely before storing them in air- tight containers and enjoying them with your favorite cuppa!!

Bruschetta - The Perfect way to Use Leftover Bread

So this is how my delicious Lemon Bread came to a scrumptious finish. I strongly believe nothing in this world happens before its pre-destined time, food too! Making a Bruschetta had been on my mind since I don't know when and every time I set out to make it, something else would crop up. My thursday mornings are particularly hectic as compared to the rest of the days as I go for an extended Yoga class after Gym. By the time I reach home, I have just about enough time to cook my baby's lunch before I rush to pick her up. As such, my lunch is either the previous night's leftover or something extremely quick and easy. I thoroughly enjoyed my quick-fix, healthy, yummy, and filling lunch today and thus finally my Bruschetta's got their due in my kitchen!!

Ingredients

Bread slices as per your requirement cut into halves

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 medium tomato finely chopped

1/4 bell pepper finely chopped (any color or a mix of colors)

2 tbsp sweet corn kernels

2 tsp garlic finely chopped

2 tsp black olives finely chopped (I forgot !)

Seasoning of your choice (I used a mix of oregano, basil, parsely, and red chilli flakes)

A dash of lemon juice

A dash of olive oil

Salt and freshly crushed black pepper to taste

Butter or any bread spread of your choice

Grated cheddar cheese for the topping

Direction

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius with only the top rod on. On a skillet, lightly toast the bread slices. Alternatively, you can butter the slices and toast them while pre-heating the oven. Take care however not to burn them. 

In a bowl, mix all the veggies (onion, tomato, corn, garlic, olives) and the seasoning and give a good stir. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and keep it aside till the bread is toasting. 

Now, take the bread slices and put the veggie topping generously on top covering maximum space. Top it with some grated cheese and crushed black pepper. Repeat for the rest of the slices. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes till the cheese has melted and the veggies look a little toasted. Remove from the oven and serve hot!

Simple Tomato Basil Pizza/Pasta Sauce

When you have nothing much to do in the house apart from listening to nursery rhymes morning, day, and night, you need to keep thinking of ideas to keep your brain and mind working. My husband is again out of Singapore (I know, nothing new about it) and as such there is not much cooking to do. So I have started experimenting with a few recipes I have always wanted to try. On one side, I am crazily getting my pickles ready (chilli, mango, and sweet mango) and on the other preparing and stocking some sauces for future use. This tomato basil sauce is the simplest to start with and is a wonderful spread for your pizza base or as a pasta sauce. It is mildly flavored and you can adjust as per your liking. I have made this as a very small batch. You can increase the quantities as per your requirement.

                                        

Ingredients

 3 medium tomatoes chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic chopped

Fistful of basil leaves

2-3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly crushed pepper to taste

Direction

In a pan, heat the oil and add the chopped garlic. Fry till fragrant and add the tomatoes and basil and mix. Cover and cook on a medium flame till mushy and completely softened. Keep stirring in between. Remove from heat and let it cool. Now take a big bowl and put a sieve on top. Pour the tomato mixture through the sieve and start pressing with the back of a spoon till only the tomato skins remain. Scrap the bottom of the seive from the outer side and discard the flesh.

                                         

Put the sieved tomato puree back to the pan and start stirring on a medium flame. Add salt and pepper and continue stirring till the sauce thickens a bit. Remove from heat and transfer to a clean bowl/jar. Let it cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

                                       

Wholemeal Spaghetti with Oven Charred Cherry Tomatoes

After all the cooking in the past few weeks, I have to be really a superhuman to want to cook again. However, family and, most importantly my baby, needs to be fed and while we adults can manage with store-bought food, a mother would not like her darling to grow up on unhealthy food just because her momma is lazy. Thankfully though, my baby has developed a liking to foods which I love too and so the job gets easier. Today's recipe is a quick-fix and healthy meal and is quite refreshing for the palate too. Enjoy it with some fresh garlic bread and a bowl of your favorite soup and you are a happy person.

Ingredients

1/4 of a pack of wholemeal spaghetti (the measurement here depends entirely on your requirement)

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1/3 cup broccoli florets (or any veggie of your choice)

4-5 leaves of fresh basil roughly chopped

1/2 red bell pepper chopped (can use any other variety)

12-14 or as many as you like cherry tomatoes 

1 + 1 tbsp olive oil 

1 + 1 tsp oregano

1 tsp red chilli flakes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt to taste

Cheese for garnishing (optional)

Direction

Wash and pat dry the cherry tomatoes. Place them on an aluminium foil and add 1 tso oregano, salt, garlic powder, red chilli flakes and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil. The olive oil has been added in excess so that the spices and the tomato juices are well infused into it and will render a wonderful flavor to the spaghetti when drizzled on top of the spaghetti once done.

Place the tightly wrapped foil with the cherry tomatoes in the oven at 200 degree celsius with top heating only and let it remain for about half an hour while checking in between until the tomatoes leave out their juices and get slightly wilted. I did not pre-heat my oven. You can do so if you want. Once done, keep the foil wrapped tomatoes inside the oven, power off, until use. Alternatively, you can also do it on a iron mesh over medium flame for 10-12 minutes and opening the foil in between and turning the tomatoes.

Now, boil water in a big vessel and cook the spaghetti as per the packet instructions until al dante.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic. Fry until fragrant and then add the chopped onions. Continue frying till translucent. Now add the veggies and the basil leaves and cook till done. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss. Add oregano or any other seasoning of your choice and stir. Finally add the cherry tomatoes along with the juices and serve hot. Garnish with grated or powdered cheese if you like.