Lemon Coconut Surprise

This is one of favs, from the Nestle Cookbook. Can make it in a jiffy and the color contrast makes it look yummy!

1 cup desiccated coconut
2 tsp lemon rind
375 g White chocolate melted
30 red cherries
1 cup coconut flakes

(For melting the chocolate, always melt in a double boiler - Heat water in a vessel and place a smaller vessel with the chocolate, in the water)- Basic funda of melting chocolate..

1. Mix desicated coconut with lemon rind, add White chocolate Melts, combine well, cool.
2. Shape teaspoonfuls coconut mixture around cherry, roll into balls, coat with coconut flakes

Cheesy Macaroni

Baked dishes have started making headway into our Indian kitchens, and the excitement-seeking palates of today's youngsters (read, my son..!) gobbles it up in no time!

I just love the Vegetable Au Gratin and the Chef's Baked bowl (at Eden..).. Ok, not to deviate.. Cheesy Macaroni is a quick combo of macaroni, cheese, white pepper, butter and milk.. Sounds heavenly, no!

Well for all these baked dishes, most of the ingredients remain the same - cheese, white sauce, maida, butter, tomato sauce, cream and so on.. You just have to match innovative combinations with some additional ingredients which gives you that extra zing!




Ingredients

1 cup - Grated cheese (Mozzarella)
300 grams of Macaroni - boiled
6 tablespoons butter
2 tbsp Maida
2 cups of milk ( if needed, you can add more)
Salt, white pepper powder
2 tbsp of fresh bread crumbs
1/2 tsp crushed pepper corns
1/2 tsp of chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat the over to 220 C

For the white sauce :

2. Heat 2 tbslp of butter in a pan, on a low heat.
3. Add the maida, saute it and make sure it does not change colour.
4. Transfer to a bowl, let it cool for a minute.
5. Gradually add in the milk, and mix it well with hands, without forming any lumps.
6. Pour this mixture in the non-stick kadai, on a very low heat. Add half of the grated cheese and continue to stir.
7. You may add more milk to adjust the consistency.
8. Add salt, white pepper and mix well. Keep it aside.

The Macaroni:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of butter, toss in the cooked macaroni.
2. On a low heat, add the white sauce and mix gently.
3. Add the remaining cheese and transfer this to a baking dish.
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs on the top alongwith pepper corns and parsley.
5. Bake till the cheese melts and turns golden brown (15-20 mins).. Relish it HOT!

Wraps & Rolls

Sometimes, we are on the run, who has the time to sit down and have a complete meal? Here comes our saviour, Wraps or Kathi rolls, for a quick breakfast, light snack or power lunch, whatever you call it!

I used to relish these rolls in a street-side fast food joint near Hi-Style Anna Nagar.. And, overseas, at Phoenix, I enjoyed these wraps as Mexican "Burritos". Slurp!

These are easy to make and serve, with no fuss at all! You can mix and match ingredients and simply wrap them up in our "Roti"!





(For the above filling, I used onions, shredded cabbage and red bell pepper cooked like a chinese subzi with tomato sauce)

So, get set to expand you eating options!

Prepare Rotis and cool them.

For the filling - unleash your creativity! Use Onion, Paneer, red and green bell peppers and make a subzi.

For the extra "oomph" - prepare a sauce out of Cheese or Dahi... This will make sure that the wraps are more creamy and delicious!

Interesting toppings - Oregano, red chilli flakes (left over pizza delivery accompaniments, may be used!)

For the Cheese sauce :

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp grated cheese
1/4 cup Amul cream
1/2 tsp finely cut garlic (optional)
1/4 cup milk
some red chilli flakes,oregano and salt to spice it up..

For the Curd Sauce :

1 cup fresh curds, salt
Red Chilli-garlic (pounded coarsely)
(Or) finely chopped green chilli + Green corainder leaves
A little sprinkling of Chaat masala

Apple Crumble

The very thought of the wafting smell of apples and cinnamon in my kitchen motivates me to prepare this recipe, again and again.. Of course, its a favourite in our family! Its just quick and easy.. And you will love it.. (Especially when its served warm alongwith cold Vanilla icecream!)




Ingredients for the Crumble

300g plain flour, sieved with a pinch of salt
175 brown sugar
200g unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
Knob of butter for greasing

For the Apple filling:

2 big apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
50g brown sugar
2 tsp butter
1 pinch of ground cinnamon


Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Prepare the Crumble - Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter (this should be at room temperature) at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. For making the apple filling - Heat a non stick pan. In a medium flam, add butter and when it melts, add the cut apples. Close and cover it for 2 minutes on a low flame. After this, sprinkle over the sugar and the cinnamon powder. Stir well & be careful not to mash up the apples. Let it cook on slow fire for 2 more minutes and switch of the gas.
3. Butter a round, thin ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
4. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
5. Serve with thick cream or custard.

Orange-Lemon Tea Fizz

Nothing can beat a glass of chilled lemon tea as an accompaniment to a pizza, sub or a sizzler! The best part is this can be made in advance and refigerated. So that you can chill out when you have to serve this..

Lots of variations could be tried.. The first one is Orange-Lemon Tea and the second one is Lemon - Ginger Iced Tea... The secret of a good iced tea is to make the tea decoction and cool it completely before flavouring it. And of course, it is all in the way you serve it.

Take a tall glass, first fill it with lots of ice cubes and pour the tea. And chill out..



Ingredients

Orange - Lemon Tea

3 cups boiling water
1-2 tea bags
Sugar to taste
1 cup Orange Juice (Use the canned juice)
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 bottle Soda ( optional)
Ice Cubes


Brew tea decoction.
Make a light tea decoction, let it cool completely.
Before serving add sugar, lemon juice, orange juice and Soda. If you do not like fizzy stuff, then opt out the soda.
Serve over ice cubes in a tall glass.

Lemon Ginger Iced Tea



Ingredients

1 bag green tea
Thin slices fresh ginger
Fresh Lemon juice
Sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Make a thin green tea decotion, Let tea cool completely.
2. Strain ginger juice, add through a strainer. Add lemon juice and sugar.
3. Pour in to tall glasses filled with ice.

Sip it with your friends with some nice murukku and hot gossip!