Melt in Your Mouth Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies by Keebler which are commonly available in every supermarket in North America is a delicious melt in the mouth cookie with nutty pecans in it and an amazing texture. My mom-in-law is a big fan of these cookies and she always tries to look for them in every store in Singapore but has never been able to find it. One day I stumbled upon this recipe for Pecan Sandies on the allrecipes website. It had wonderful reviews and I wanted to try them out because I knew that no matter how they turned out, I had one customer who loved nuts enough to still try these out and appreciate the effort put into making them! So I decided to make a batch of these.

Once my son found out that there were cookies being made in the house which did not have chocolate chips in them, he was visibly upset. So I made a last minute decision to make pecan cookies out of half the batter and use the rest for making chocolate chip cookies. Of course I love to keep the people in my home excited about what is cooking in the kitchen and would never want anyone to get upset because they cannot get what they like.

The pecan cookies turned out delicious. Just like the ones you find in that pack in the supermarket! And my kids and niece loved the chocolate chip cookies although I would not make chocolate chip cookies with this batter. I am partial to the soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies and the next time will use the entire batch to make pecan cookies and keep the kids in my life happy with the chocolate chip cookies that I like as much as they do.

I did make some slight modifications to the original recipe. I substituted the margarine for butter and increased the vanilla extract to 2 tsps. I baked some after rolling the dough balls in white sugar and some without. I also experimented a fair bit with different temperature settings of the oven. That is why all my cookies did not look the same - but they all tasted good and that is what matters in the end!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 

2. In a mixer, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, 1 cup white sugar and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the pecans. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in remaining white sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  

 

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.  

 

 

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Lasgana is comfort food for me and recently I was thinking about how to make it vegetarian and hence healthier but without any loss of flavor. That was when I had this idea to put together a roasted veegtable lasagna. I am sure some episode on some TV show on the Food Network would have aggravated the need to do this even further. I don't think I have admitted it yet officially on my blog yet - I am a food TV junkie. I can watch cooking shows endlessly as long as the chef/cook/host (anyone who is doing the cooking) knows what they're doing. A lot of reality TV based on food just does not cut ..... I am not really interested in your emotions during/after cooking ... I am more interested in what you can teach me. And I have to admit that most of the recipes you watch (after you have watched food TV for this long) tend to be similar but some of the cooking show hosts are just great on the insight and expertise they are willing to share with you.

And it was during one of those shows that I got inspired to make this lasagna. The method was very similar to the meat lasagna recipe that I have here. The ingredients were also similar. Instead of meat sauce, I made the mushroom bolognese sauce. I added roasted vegetables and also made the white sauce from the lasagna recipe healthier by adding chopped sauteed spinach to it. This recipe is much healthier vs. the American version of lasagna which calls for the use of ricotta and other cheeses to make up for the white sauce layer.

Roasted vegetables are really low effort. You need to ensure you have good quality olive oil and that they are seasoned well with salt, pepper and herbs. The roasting process gives them amazing flavor. I especially love the way roasted peppers and asparagus roast up. Roasted tomatoes are ideal for making tomato soup. Try it instead of plain tomatoes and the difference is noteworthy.

And I have no qualms in admitting that I prefer to use instant lasagna sheets over the ones that need to be cooked ahead of assembly. This makes the process of making lasagna much easier and reduces the fuss. I am always open to using methods and ingredients which improve the efficiency of the cooking process without compromise on taste, texture or flavor. I know there are folks who will disagree but being a working woman with kids and lots on my plate all the time, I am happy to have this as an option.

Ingredients:
1 batch mushroom bolognese sauce
1 batch white sauce 
1/2 bunch finely chopped spinach sauteed in a pan with 1/2 tsp oil
Mini Asparagus (1 bunch) (trimmed)
2 yellow bell peppers (I only had yellow on hand, feel free to use anything that you like) (cut into half)
1 each Green and Yellow Zucchini (cut into medium thin rounds)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
2 tsp dried mixed herbs (I chose Italian blend)
Salt and pepper to taste

1 package instant lasgana sheets

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200 C. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs together. Toss all the vegetables in this oil mixture. Lay the vegetables on a roasting tray/baking sheet layered with foil (that helps the cleanup :)) and place in the preheated oven to bake.

2. The vegetables will be roasted in 15-20 minutes. when they are cooled, transfer them into bowls/containers. For asparagus, chop into pieces of desired choice. For roasted peppers, transfer them to a glass bowl while hot and cover with plastic wrap. the steam inside the bowl will cause the skin to come of easily later. Chop the bell peppers into desired size pieces.

 
3. Add the chopped sauteed spinach to the white sauce. Check both sauces for seasoning and add as needed.

4. To begin layering the lasagna, spread some of the mushroom bolognese on the base of the container. Please ensure you're using a flat based glass dish to make lasagna. If you're going to use a metal dish, it should be lined with aluminium foil before the assembly so that it is easy to cleanup.

5. Spread a layer of the lasagna sheets. Ensure that it covers the entire sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the roasted vegetables on this layer and spread the white sauce on it followed by the mushroom bolognese. Since we are using instant noodles, we need to ensure that the texture of the sauces is not too thick and that the lasagna sheets are nicely covered with the sauce because they will need the moisture of the sauce to cook.

6. Repeat layers as per above. The final layer should consist of lasagna sheet covered with the sauces. Cover with aluminium foil and cook for 30-40 minutes on 200 C. Test the doneness of the lasagna by inserting a small knife through it to make sure all the laerys are cooked through.
 
7. Remove the foil, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes till the cheese is melted, bubbly and brown. Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes. Cut into pieces and serve.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

One of the newer additions to my kitchen is a slow cooker. Even though it seems like there is no need for one it has made a huge difference to some of the non vegetarian dishes I make. Notably all meat and chicken dishes which benefit from the slow cooking process have shown remarkable results. We always try to use chicken breast meat for all the chicken recipes because it is a healthier cut of meat. But it is also the trickiest one to cook as it cooks very quickly and because it has minimal fat, it tends to get chewy very quickly.

The slow cooker is a good way to cook chicken breasts as it ensures that the chicken is tender. One thing that I have realized is that chicken breasts cook best with the skin on and bone in. So in order to retain maximum tenderness, I sear skin on bone in breasts and slow cook them in the cooker for 2-3 hours. Once the chicken is done, the chicken breasts are allowed to rest for a few minutes and when they are cool enough to handle, they can be shredded and added to the curry base.

Ingredients
2 bone in skin on chicken breasts
1 large onion (finely chopped)
2 medium tomatoes (crushed)
1 inch ginger (grated)
2 cloves of garlic (grated)
1 1/2 cups fresh milk
2 tablespoon fresh cream
1/2 cup fresh(frozen) methi leaves or 1/4 cup dried methi leaves
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1 mace flower
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp crushed red chillies
2-3 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp chicken curry powder 
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Slit the chicken breasts into half along the bone or they can be left whole also. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tsp chicken curry masala (powder) and rub well on the chicken breasts on all sides. In a pan, put 1 tsp oil and when the pan heats up, sear the chicken breasts on all sides. Remove and set aside.

2. In the pan, add the remaining oil, cinnamon, cloves, mace, onions, ginger and garlic. Cook them for a few minutes over medium low heat till the onions start to tun light brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric, chilli and salt to taste and let it cook for another couple of minutes. Add 1 cup milk and cook for a few minutes.

3. Put the chicken breasts in the stone insert of the slow cooker and pour the mixture above on it. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the slow cooker and rest for a few minutes. Remove the skin from the chicken and then remove the meat from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces. 

4. In a pan, cook the crushed tomatoes over medium low heat till they reduce and add the remaining liquid from the slow cooker. Add the methi leaves and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining milk, cream and chicken curry masala. Adjust the seasoning to taste and add the shredded chicken to the gravy and cook for another 5 minutes on very slow fire.

5. Serve hot with rotis, naan or rice.

Affogato - Perk up your Ice Cream!

Sometimes the best things in life are just the simplest of things ..... two things which in isolation are good enough on their own come together to make something extraordinary. And affogato is such a beautiful example. The first time I had it I could not believe how well espresso and vanilla ice cream paired together.

Over a few good and bad affogatos, I have learnt a few things about getting it right - the ingredients matter immensely. There are only 2 things that make this so those two things might as well be the best.

I am a coffee lover and have too much respect for a good shot of espresso, and having made my own coffee for a while now, I also know it is not that easy to make a good shot of espresso! But I think after a few years I have managed to make a shot that I am more than happy with and use it for this dessert. Good espresso starts with good coffee grounds and I have to admit, I could make some of the best coffee in Seattle where I found good beans with the right kind of roast and grind them the way I liked it anytime. Here in Singapore I am more dependent on the packaged ground coffee and Lavazza has been my favorite so far.

Now the ice cream ..... traditionally affogatos are made with gelato but I will take a good vanilla ice cream any day. On this day I had a creamy vanilla ice cream speckled with Vanilla beans and it was the perfect choice for this dessert. I do have one note for the readers here - Affogato is made with one shot of espresso for a big scoop of ice cream but I am too much in love with my coffee that I use two :) Use what tickles your tastebuds and you'll be in a very happy place!

Ingredients
1 shot freshly brewed espresso
1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream
whipping cream to garnish (optional)

Method
Put a large scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cup. Pour delicious brewed espresso on it. Garnish with whipped cream (optional) and serve!

Eggless Orange Cake

I have to admit one thing, I am non-vegetarian so I usually make no special attempt to make vegetarian food unless it is a challenge, the need of the hour or a request. And in this case the attempt at eggless orange cake was a request from a very dear friend whose husband is allergic to eggs. And I am so glad she asked me to because this chance to try eggless stuff gave me a whole new way of looking at vegetarian recipes.

I love the orange cake I make regularly and my kids (and lots of other people I know) absolutely love it! And I never thought I would find a recipe that could come a close second. But this recipe did come close. And it was very easy to make! This cake has a very good crumb and unlike a lot of other eggless cakes, it does not crumble easily and can be cut into beautiful slices for serving.

The original recipe is (no surprise!) inspired from this recipe on allrecipes.com. I did make some changes to the recipe to give it a more orange-y flavor. The cake turned out good but it wasn't sweet enough for me so for all you folks who like your desserts to be sweet, do add in the recommended amount of sugar as option in the recipe. Enjoy it even during Navratras!!!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange extract

1 cup melted butter
zest of one orange
(optional - 1/4 to 1/8 cup fine grain sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the sweetened condensed milk, orange juice, orange extract, orange zest and melted butter. Mix well and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

 

 

Mexican At Home - Chicken (Mushroom Cheddar) Fajitas

My love affair with Mexican food started nearly 11 years ago when I went to North America for the first time. I was staying in Arizona which was at the Mexican border and had some fantastic Mexican food. Being away from home, this food was the closest to Indian food with the variety of flavors and spices in it. And they had their own version of chapati and rice and rajmah! Unlike regular American food, Mexican food was bursting with flavor and a hint of spiciness and I loved the way it was put together. I continued to discover new ways of enjoying this cuisine be it fajitas, enchilladas, flautas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas or chimichangas.

One of the things I always loved to eat was fajitas. To begin with, they reminded me of my favorite sizzlers that I used to love at Hot Millions in Chandigarh. I also liked the fact that I could stuff the tortillas my way and customize each bite the way I wanted it. They always came with a variety of sides - guacamole, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo and salsa. Sometimes they even came with a side of refried beans and rice which could also be put into the tortilla if needed.

Fajitas are also very flexible. They can be made with chicken, seafood or any kind of meat along with your favorite vegetables or cheese. The must have elements for fajitas for me are onions and bell peppers. Everything else is upto the mood on the day. I have shared photos of 2 kinds of fajitas made at different occasions. One were chicken fajitas and the second one was chicken fajitas with mushroom and cheddar cheese. Feel free to use toppings of your choice - any vegetables, meats or even paneer :)

The best part of fajitas is that fajitas will never go to waste - even if you make a big batch, leftover fajitas make delicious quesadillas the next day. I'll share a recipe for that shortly.

Ingredients:
Bell peppers (1 each red, green and yellow) sliced into long strips
1 Onion (sliced lengthwise)
1 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Mushrooms (sliced but not too thin)
Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Combine the olive oil, oregano, lime juice, salt and pepper to make a dressing. Use 1/3 of the dressing to marinade the chicken and use the remaining to marinade the chopped bell peppers and onions. If you are using mushrooms, marinade them separately with some of the marinade.

2. After the chicken and vegetables have been marinating for about 15 minutes, heat up a skillet. In parallel take the iron plate of the hotplate set and keep it on med-high heat to heat up while the remaining ingredients get cooked.

3. First grill the chicken in the heated up skillet till it is cooked through and juicy. Transfer to a plate for a few minutes and wait for the juices to redistribute through the meat. Slice the chicken into long strips.

4. Using the same skillet, cook the mushrooms over medium high heat till they are done. Remove mushrooms from the skillet and add the marinated vegetables and let them cook till they are done but still have a bite to them.

5. One the hotplate is heated up, place it on the wooden base and add the vegetables, including any juice they may have, followed by the mushrooms and the chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top if needed.

6. Serve piping hot with warm tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and pico de gallo.

A Cake Fit For a 60th Birthday Celebration!

 
This was one of the best occasions to make a cake - it was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. This could have been the perfect reason to buy one of those beautifully decorated cakes from a bakery but I wanted to make a cake that she loves to eat. My mom-in-law simply loves nuts of all kinds and of all the cakes, she really likes this carrot cake.

I decided to take it up a notch in nuttiness - I made the cake with more nuts than the recipe called for. I usually store nuts in the freezer to avoid them from getting spoilt. This time around, I took pecan halves and toasted them in a slow oven till they became warm and I could smell the pecans toasting. I then chopped them into smaller pieces and used them in the cake recipe. I used 1 1/2 cups of pecans instead of the 1 cup called for in the recipe.

I also made a cream cheese whipped topping from this recipe at Allrecipes website. I have to admit, inspite of  the reviewers suggestions, my icing was not as stiff as I would have liked it to be. But it was a very tasty frosting and the almond essence in the frosting complimented the nuts in the cake even more. As a finishing touch, I divided the frosting into 2 parts and added blanched chopped almonds to one half. I used this icing with the almonds to layer the cake and I used the plain frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

With the cake and frosting all figured out, the only thing left was decorating the cake. I have to admit, my skills at piping designs are still far from good. Recently I have been reading up a bit on fondant and how it is used to make beautiful designs on cakes.It seemed hard to mess up so I decided to use fondant to decorate this cake. Fondant is like gorgeous edible playdough! I used it to make roses and petals which were used to cover the cake. I made a pink ribbon to go around the cake as the edges of my cake were not as neat as I would have liked them to be.

 
The final touches were frosting on the edge of the cake and the writing on the cake "Happy Birthday Daadi". Daadi stands for paternal grandmother and this cake was a loving gift to her from her grandchildren. That is the most important identity for her right now - she loves her grandchildren immensely and over a period of time, the kids have taken over the candle blowing and cake cutting on her cakes. But she loves it and would not have it any other way! The spellings of Daadi underwent a lot of debate but it was done and I could not erase and rewrite so we had to make do with what it is - next birthday, correct spellings!

The recipe for the carrot pineapple cake can be found here. Bake the cake in two 9 inch round cake pans layered with parchment. After the cakes come out of the oven cool them in the pan for 10 minutes and take out on a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and almond extract. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. 

For the cake assembly :

1. Level the tops of each of the layer cakes and cut each round horizontally into 2 equal halves.

2. Take half of the cream cheese frosting and add 1 cup chopped blanched almonds to it. Use this frosting to layer the cakes. Once all the cakes have been layered, cover the cake with plain frosting on top and the sides. 

3. Roll out some white fondant into a 1/8 inch thick layer. You can use icing sugar to prevent the fondant from sticking. Cover the cake with the white fondant and trim the edges to make it neat. Color the remaining fondant red, pink and green and use it to make the roses. Decorate the cake as desired.