tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74442237141449450162024-03-14T09:16:11.548+00:00Home-made food ideas for Toddlers and young childrenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-22194964204027326922014-09-01T22:46:00.000+01:002014-09-01T22:49:26.462+01:00Home-made Strawberry jam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR9rgs01vkvGhXgFjnBDK3jc376RQ4belwitKczweFuXT4fdi1wQyOVxiXvdekVM0w4vN-3Dl8bI_ybF0Z6DiJkEtJtZdguLUhRQbyPgis3OfbQISSLV3M6i62mqJLuzW29TUtQnOCX2Y/s1600/DSC_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR9rgs01vkvGhXgFjnBDK3jc376RQ4belwitKczweFuXT4fdi1wQyOVxiXvdekVM0w4vN-3Dl8bI_ybF0Z6DiJkEtJtZdguLUhRQbyPgis3OfbQISSLV3M6i62mqJLuzW29TUtQnOCX2Y/s1600/DSC_0337.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Recently, we visited our local pick your own farm. We had a fantastic time spending the whole day at the farm, enjoyed a picnic together and we got to pick fresh fruits. It was a fantastic opportunity for Anjalie to see how fruits grow and also for us to enjoy fresh fruits from the farm. Among our haul was gooseberries, strawberries and raspberries. We immediately decided to make our own jam over the weekend and we turned the gooseberries into the most yummiest pickle (recipe to follow soon).<br />
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You will need:<br />
1 kg fresh straberries<br />
750 g raspberries (or a total 1.75 kgs of berries for mixed berry jam)<br />
3 tbsp lemon juice<br />
750 g granulated sugar/jam sugar (adjust amount according to your taste)<br />
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Most recipes for jams and jellies suggests the use of jam sugar which has added pectin. This helps for the jam to retain flavor and colour by reducing the cooking time for jam. Pectin is naturally found in apples and plums. There are many organic pectin available in stores to add to sugar. However, I could not be bothered to buy anything new. I instead made the jam without jam sugar or pectin and did not have to overcook or lose flavor (perhaps I just got lucky?!). Feel free to use pectin or jam sugar or add a few pieces of apples, plums and oranges in your recipe.<br />
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Jam making is easy and fun and kids can be of great help too with washing the fruits for us.<br />
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Remove the stalks and wash the berries well.<br />
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Place in a large stock/jam pan<br />
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Add lemon juice and squish them well with a clean masher. You can use a berry grinder or blend and filter to remove the seeds. But, we prefer the jam with the seeds.<br />
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Add the sugar<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Slowly heat it up in low heat until sugar dissolves completely.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bring it to a boil and continue boiling for 10 mins until it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit/105 degrees Celsius. With pectin added it should take less time (approx 5 -7 mins).</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remove from heat and take out the foam using a clean spoon and throw away. Let it cool for 10 mins and store in clean, sterilized jars. Remember not to over fill the bottles. </span></span><br />
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Now get your little artist(s) to make the labels.<br />
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Stick the label on and enjoy your jam! We did not even wait for tea-time to enjoy our toast with jam!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-37740522377102685542014-08-29T18:34:00.002+01:002014-08-30T01:08:35.496+01:00Ammani/Mani kozhukattai (South Indian Gnocchi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today being Ganesh Chaturthi, traditionally, in Chennai every practicing household will make kozhukattai - a sort of steam dumplings made from rice flour. The filling usually is either sweet (made from jaggery & coconut) or savory (made from urad dal). But what I love the most is the Mani (pearl) kozhukattai. My parents usually never made kozhukattai. It was our neighbor, who happens to be my best friend's grandmother, who made these regularly. I spent most of my waking time at their house more or less either playing with my friend or hanging out with her "paatti (grandmother)" in the kitchen. She was sort of a grand-mum for both of us. Whenever, she made these dumplings, she will always make extra flour for the outer shell just to make me these mani kozhukattai. Although, she is no longer with us, her memory lives on and I always remember her when I see/hear/eat mani kozhukattai. Over the years, I have slightly changed the recipe from using refined rice flour to healthier chemba (red) rice flour for the B vitamin content. Other than that, the spongy texture of the mani kozhukattai and flavor of the freshly grated coconuts still reminds me of the happy days singing old songs with "patti" in her kitchen while she cooked. Anyway, Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone, and Happy Birthday to Ganesh and a special thanks to "paatti" for giving me such happy childhood memories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jl0IT2xyutAKRWc9s886qj6giMkA8SLd40LkxzGjLmNJ7xr771lQi-mnoKrMdlRp3o5Bqbk7WhSZEPyaSU81U5eELE_DfWP8lf42UEKtWs0xn2kKv8q8_K3_hthKyqVrRIg09jcSFPg6/s1600/DSC_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jl0IT2xyutAKRWc9s886qj6giMkA8SLd40LkxzGjLmNJ7xr771lQi-mnoKrMdlRp3o5Bqbk7WhSZEPyaSU81U5eELE_DfWP8lf42UEKtWs0xn2kKv8q8_K3_hthKyqVrRIg09jcSFPg6/s1600/DSC_0162.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>You will need:<br />
Idiyappanm rice flour - 3/4 cup<br />
water - 1 to 1+1/4 cup<br />
salt to taste<br />
steamer<br />
1 tbsp coconut/cooking oil<br />
1/4 cup grated coconut<br />
1/4 tsp mustard seeds<br />
1/2 tsp urad dal<br />
a pinch of asafoetida<br />
10 curry leaves (chopped/torn)<br />
2 green chillies chopped (for adults)<br />
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This recipe uses store bought rice/idiyappam flour. Traditionally, the rice flour was made at home after washing, soaking and drying the rice. But now these idiayappam/kozhukattai flour is sold in packets at Indian grocers. Like, I mentioned earlier, I tend to use red rice since it is a good source of Vitamin B compared refined rice flour.<br />
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Here is the packet I used.<br />
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In a sauce pan add the water and salt and bring it a boil. Turn off stove. I another pan add 1 cup of water and whisk the rice flour and mix well without lumps. Add extra boiling water a little bit at a time, if needed, to make a firm paste. Let it cool. Mean while, grease/oil the steaming pans. I used idli pans for this. When the paste is cool enough to handle, knead into a smooth dough (Sorry no pics of these since my hands were full and I could not click).<br />
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Pinch off small pieces of the dough and roll it between your palms to make a small smooth ball. Hubby just got back home, yay!<br />
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Place the balls in the steaming pans.<br />
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Steam for 7 mins.<br />
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In a skillet, heat the oil, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add Urad dal and fry till golden. Add asafoetida and curry leaves.<br />
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Turn off the stove and add the steamed gnocchi and fry well and until coated well with the spices.<br />
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Add the grated coconut and stir gently to mix well.<br />
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After taking out the children's portion, you can add the chillies for adults and mix well.<br />
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Serve warm as a snack. It is a very healthy snack since it needs very little oil and is steamed. If using the chemba rice flour, you will have the added health benefit of Vit. B. Hope you have a lovely weekend and get to enjoy my favorite snack soon. Here I go to get my next bowl of childhood memories :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-78972173254034221702014-04-05T17:33:00.001+01:002014-08-30T11:14:47.056+01:00Home-made doughnuts (kids can help!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend we had a lovely Mother's day here. This week things are again back to normal and I had a request to make doughnuts/donuts for snack today. With the April showers lashing us, it did seem like a great idea to eat warm doughnuts with a good cup of hot chocolate while watching the rain through the windows. Anjalie as usual was very helpful and with the use of bread machine, we had more time to play together while the dough had time to rise. Anjalie helped cut the doughnut shapes and we were soon sinking our teeth into soft, melt in your mouth and yummy doughnuts with a cuppa. So here is the recipe...<br />
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You will need:<br />
For the Doughnuts<br />
1 packet (7 g) rapid rise yeast<br />
220 ml whole milk<br />
55 g sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 eggs<br />
40 g unsalted butter (skip the salt if using salted butter)<br />
315 g plain/all-purpose flour + more for dusting<br />
oil for frying<br />
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For the Glaze</div>
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35 g butter (melted)</div>
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125 g powdered sugar</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract</div>
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2 -4 tablespoons regular milk </div>
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Add butter to milk and warm up the milk until the butter just starts to melt. Remove from fire/microwave and mix well until the butter is fully melted. Add the egg and slightly beat to mix well.<br />
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Add to the bread machine. If the bread machine instruction says to start with dry ingredients first, reverse the order given here.<br />
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Add flour and spread evenly to cover the milk. Place salt and sugar on the corners. Make a small indentation in the middle and place the yeast in the centre.<br />
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Set the bread machine to dough/basic dough setting and let it do it's thing while you go off and have some fun! You can also hand knead the dough. Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and add the wet ingredients and knead for 10-15 mins until smooth and elastic.<br />
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Dust the counter with some flour and roll out the dough into 1/2 inch thick circle.<br />
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Cut out the doughnuts using two circular cookie cutter/bottle caps/small bowls.<br />
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Kids can help cut the shapes as long as the cutters are not too sharp. Anjalie had great fun doing this. Gather and re-roll the dough until all of it is used up.<br />
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Place them (both big and small doughnuts) 2-3 cm apart on a baking sheet. Cover with damp cloth and leave to rise for 40-50 mins.<br />
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Heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius (and maintain it at this heat through out). Add one or 2 doughnuts at a time and cook for 30 secs on each side until golden brown on both sides. Let them cool on a wire rack.<br />
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Take care when turning since you do not want to mess up the shape or poke any unwanted holes in them. When frying the small doughnuts, poke a hole in the middle so they can be turned easily without any air-pockets interfering.<br />
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In a mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients for the glaze. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter and 1 tbsp milk at a time until it is runny but not too thin to coat the back of a spoon.. Dip the now cool enough to handle doughnuts into the glaze. Turn over and coat the other side and let it cool. Eat warm with a cuppa or hot chocolate. You can add cocoa/chocolate powder to the glaze for a chocolate glaze or dust warm doughnuts with cinnamon and sugar mixture for a variation. Enjoy!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-74462283347152145592014-03-29T23:46:00.002+00:002014-08-30T11:17:21.318+01:00Butter-cream milk-chocolate frosting for cakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First of all, a very Happy Mothering Sunday to all you fabulous ladies! I got to enjoy some baking time with my family here as a Mother's day present. I am over the moon to have this quality time as opposed to some commercial off the shelf gift. We had a fantastic time making a chocolate cake and chocolate frosting (buttercream, is there any other?!) and putting them together and in the process eating at least half the frosting! All three of us do not care for the commercial frosting. We find them too sweet. Both Anjalie & I are not fans of dark/bitter-sweet chocolate. So we girls out voted Naz to have a milk-chocolate frosting instead. Since Naz finds the cream-cheese frosting a bit overwhelming due to the tangy taste, we decided on the milder butter-cream frosting and, yes, we did make it less sweet. Here is our recipe (which we have always loved) but feel free to add more sugar if you want it sweeter. To match the sweetness you get in the commercial product you might have to double the amount of icing sugar used in this recipe.<br />
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You will need (for the frosting):</div>
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225 grams butter (1 Cup) at room temperature -<b>not melted</b></div>
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210 grams (1.5 cups) icing sugar</div>
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1-2 tsp milk/cream</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/4 cup milk chocolate powder (any hot chocolate will do) - I used cadburys</div>
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100 g milk chocolate - melted & cooled</div>
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First of all beat the butter until soft and creamy (for 2-3 mins) using an electric/stand mixer or food processor. Add vanilla and mix well. Sift icing sugar and chocolate powder together. Add icing sugar mixture, one third at a time, until fully incorporated. Beware, to run the mixer in low-speed to avoid icing-sugar mess! Add melted chocolate and mix well. If needed add milk 1 tsp at a time to get desired consistency. I needed 2 tsps last night. But there have been days when I did not need any! So, I guess, it depends on the weather and quality of the other ingredients.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DAc5V9HRkb6NNN1v591arxjVcmJ2fie6-AlM8vPk0PFZt8PVvTwVLZOhZjBrGYtD1R7fSvvFXudRoD7ZrxWzquerhBtJr2nWSzYZ5VSZwWFoeK9J4-uPsZBUCiSIjJTutdfM-AEX1G84/s1600/DSC_0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DAc5V9HRkb6NNN1v591arxjVcmJ2fie6-AlM8vPk0PFZt8PVvTwVLZOhZjBrGYtD1R7fSvvFXudRoD7ZrxWzquerhBtJr2nWSzYZ5VSZwWFoeK9J4-uPsZBUCiSIjJTutdfM-AEX1G84/s1600/DSC_0078.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
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You will need cake next. For recipe for chocolate cake refer <a href="http://kuttybear-toddlerfoodideas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/moist-chocolate-cake-with-milk.html" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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Here are Naz & Anjalie helping with the cake mixing.<br />
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Butter-cream frosting is very easy to pipe, so, it is perfect for cake decorating. I have done a combo of shells and stars using a medium sized star tip to decorate my cake. Hope you enjoy your cake soon. Happy mothers day!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-60262631177117750582014-03-14T19:21:00.000+00:002014-03-16T22:38:51.266+00:00Sausage Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Once a month, Anjalie & I have special play-dates on a Friday evening. It is important for Mum-Dad to have a special quality time (no kids talk or kids) for the growth of their relationship and bonding. Similarly, I found setting some time aside for my daughter allows me to have some quality time bonding with her and talking about some of the trivial and important things we have overlooked so far. This is especially important for me since I work full time so have less time "with her". Tonight is one such special night. Usually on these nights I prepare dinner earlier (if I can) or cook things that I can put in the oven while we play. But I also bear in mind to make some of her favourites since I want it to be special. Sausage casserole ticks both boxes for me. It takes less actual cooking time, spends most of it in the oven, one-pot meal (so no need to make anything else other than salad) and it is also our favourite dinner. I keep away from red meat, so, I tend to use chicken/turkey or quorn/couldron sausages. Naz prefers the former and both Anjalie & I prefer the quorn sausages. I am sure this recipe will work for any of your favourite sausages. Simply make sure it is all cooked thoroughly before serving. Recently, I added a sausage casserole recipe with tomato sauce. I do this one as a variation. They are pretty similar and this one will work a treat if anyone is fussy about tomoatoes in their food :)<br />
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You will need:<br />
6 sausages<br />
2 carrots - sliced into finger sizes<br />
2 med. potatoes chopped<br />
1 med. onion - sliced<br />
3 cloves garlic - grated<br />
600 ml vegetable/chicken stock<br />
1 tbsp tomato puree<br />
1 heaped tbsp plain flour<br />
1 tsp dried herbs (thyme, oregano, basil etc)<br />
a small dash of chilli/pepper sauce (optional)<br />
salt & black pepper to taste<br />
3 tbsp olive oil.<br />
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Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fans assisted). Heat oil in a hob-safe casserole pan or sauce pan to medium heat and fry all the sausages evenly. <i> I do them 3 at a time to make sure that they are cooked even (my pot is a bit small).</i><br />
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Remove sausages, add onion & garlic to the oil and cook until transparent. Add the flour and cook for another 2-3 mins.<br />
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<i><i>Skip if using meat sausages:</i></i><br />
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<i>Mean while, blanch potatoes in hot water for 10 mins and add carrots to blanch in the last 5 mins.</i><br />
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Add sausages, veggies, tomato puree, herbs and the stock. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Pop them in the oven and cook covered<br />
<i>if using meat sausages - for 60 mins</i><br />
<i>if using quorn/veggie sausages- for 30 mins.</i><br />
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Serve warm with crusty Rustic bread and side salad.<br />
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Tip: Reduce the stock amount by 100 ml if you want a thick gravy.<br />
You can use minced meat instead of sausages.<br />
You can add a can of beans or pearl barley for more variety.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-51985324978911180322014-03-07T18:10:00.000+00:002014-03-07T18:10:00.313+00:00Egg-Aloo (potato) Curry Trinidad style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Eggs are a great source of protein, iodine and essential vitamins. Eggs are great "first food" for babies (as long as they are not allergic to them) as long as they are thoroughly cooked. Please avoid giving runny eggs or partly cooked eggs to under 2 yrs old. Boiled eggs were one of the first foods that I gave Anjalie and since then she loves eggs in any form or fashion. Once I was sure that she enjoyed eggs, and was not allergic to them (after the first couple of weeks), I have made this curry (very mild initially) and used to mash the egg yolks in a small amount of curry sauce and give her. Lo and behold! no matter when it was given she would clean it all up :) Since then, this has been a easy and quick "single dish" that every likes in our home. It can be eaten with rice or roti or bread. Not only, is it healthy, it is also relatively low in calories.<br />
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You will need:<br />
4 large eggs/6 medium eggs - hard boiled and shell removed<br />
4 medium potatoes - peeled and cubed into bite size pieces<br />
2 med. tomatoes- chopped fine<br />
1 med. onion - chopped fine<br />
1/4 habernero pepper (for adults only- beware it is extremely hot!)/ pimento pepper for milder taste (optional) - leave out for children<br />
3 cloves or garlic- crushed<br />
salt and black pepper to taste<br />
1 tbsp curry powder (any store bought kind will do- but for authentic Trinidad taste look for Chief curry powder)<br />
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Make a few slits on the boiled eggs along the sides without cutting them up altogether (to avoid getting totally mashed when cooking).<br />
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Heat oil in a pan to medium. Add chopped onion, pepper (if using) & garlic. Cook until onion is transparent. Mix 1 tbsp of curry powder with 2 tbsp water. Add it to the onion and garlic and cook for 30-40 secs. Add the tomatoes and cook until mashed. Add potatoes, salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. You can add a little water when required to avoid burning. Gently add the eggs without breaking and mix in gently to coat the curry sauce. Add water and salt to make the gravy to necessary thickness (if needed). I add a 1/4 cup water to gravy if we plan eat with rice to make it a bit more liquid-y. Also, you can add coconut milk instead of water for a slightly sweeter taste (if you prefer). Bring everything to a boil (again) and cook for a further 3 secs. You can gently squish the eggs (without breaking) to draw in the gravy.<br />
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Tips: To boil eggs: brings eggs to room temp (by leaving them outside the fridge for a few hrs). Bring water to boil in a sauce pan, gently drop the eggs, ones by one, in the boiling water using a slotted spoon. Cook for 10 mins (to make sure they are all firm). Remove from hot water and immediately drop into cold water. Wait until you can handle them and peel off the shell. To peel egg shell, easily, tap the larger end of the egg on a hard surface and start peeling from there.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.8109675 -3.5109904999999961 56.0955365 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-702293148268798432014-03-01T19:11:00.000+00:002014-03-01T19:12:10.774+00:00Spaghetti chicken/Quorn Bolognese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here is another healthy version of the yummy family favourite. I am a vegetarian while Naz & Anjalie eat fish and/or chicken regularly. But as a family we all three of us avoid red meat since the risks outweigh any benefits. Having said that it does not mean Naz & Anjalie will not eat them rarely (may once or twice a year) when we eat out as a treat. Recently on once such trips, Anjalie really liked Spaghetti-bolognese at one of the restaurants. So I decided to try making it at home for dinner a couple of times with chicken instead and I used quorn for myself as a veggie option. On the first time, I heard Anjalie say to Naz "Mummy is the best baker & cooker, isn't she daddy?" Needless to say, I was very pleased with the compliment. After that I have made this few more times and tonight we enjoyed this with garlic bread and salad and Anjalie said that "Mummy, your spaghetti is the best best ever!" So here I am sharing this simple recipe in the hope that you and your family will also enjoy it. Again, if you prefer the traditional bolognese sauce, simply replace chicken with beef and you have the traditional bolognese for dinner. You can add bacon or try pork mince too for a variety :)</div>
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500g dried spaghetti or your favourite pasta</div>
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450g chicken/Quorn mince (I simply processed chicken breasts in the food processor to make my mince)</div>
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2 cans/tins of peeled tomatoes</div>
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2 tbsp tomato puree (I used the Italian one with a bit of garlic)</div>
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1/2 tsp sugar</div>
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1 tsp garlic paste</div>
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1 onion (chopped)</div>
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1 mild chilli (I used Jalepenos)</div>
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1 tsp Italian herbs (or fresh equivalent)</div>
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1 tbsp olive oil</div>
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salt and black pepper to taste</div>
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In a blender, blend tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic paste, sugar, dried herbs, chilli, onions into a smooth paste.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotdMevSRFkjrwB41xuLQlFkQifG2ZubgU4tK9rLlN104ljsm1AoAo8q8oRZY5wG0jI2iRI9zbTpRHyngZnXqh245IPUFYzhbhLTdOBeqTc_L0yS3RQ-plZH9PZQYRbjd4kJbooyz9bOaD/s1600/DSC_0255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotdMevSRFkjrwB41xuLQlFkQifG2ZubgU4tK9rLlN104ljsm1AoAo8q8oRZY5wG0jI2iRI9zbTpRHyngZnXqh245IPUFYzhbhLTdOBeqTc_L0yS3RQ-plZH9PZQYRbjd4kJbooyz9bOaD/s1600/DSC_0255.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
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In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the chicken mince and cook on medium heat until<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz52P5vqN7fOjyd9me-wJDfFYQKfdUPcWamv1pGzpxf6q_8sotPOrn1d1D04hPEKfp9hU1yXBHPrK4NYudr6AfZ9lYgyed5bb1hAkeulJ3nDC3B0Z4JvLt1VXK-0pypOlWQWKSWZkH_yQ/s1600/DSC_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz52P5vqN7fOjyd9me-wJDfFYQKfdUPcWamv1pGzpxf6q_8sotPOrn1d1D04hPEKfp9hU1yXBHPrK4NYudr6AfZ9lYgyed5bb1hAkeulJ3nDC3B0Z4JvLt1VXK-0pypOlWQWKSWZkH_yQ/s1600/DSC_0256.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
the water runs clear (See pic). Skip this step for Quorn mince. Instead, just slightly cook the Quorn for 30 secs and move to the next step.<br />
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Add the smooth sauce and salt and black pepper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdPvSs0pLlBA8A4GpcA-7b_wC8xp88sSW64j1eXW808yK2t4qOQZjZT3w28pE6K0IoWCQC7cmwXfMRZP0vxZsax_4JNRvDs6Tf9ElwDG7wWHR6axQij4_vey_oxOiWXMHcPOFCwXw32LT/s1600/DSC_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdPvSs0pLlBA8A4GpcA-7b_wC8xp88sSW64j1eXW808yK2t4qOQZjZT3w28pE6K0IoWCQC7cmwXfMRZP0vxZsax_4JNRvDs6Tf9ElwDG7wWHR6axQij4_vey_oxOiWXMHcPOFCwXw32LT/s1600/DSC_0258.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
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Bring it to a boil and cook for 8-10 mins (make sure that the meat is cooked thoroughly!). Set the sauce aside. Cook the pasta according to the instructions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr8aY6nJQxqmhLbwNhzIHo7EBnliK9twgt0P56OTeUNLLmhIJ_oOD3hukfR9DDOm2sVoamCGqZw104oVLLiPTr3yWAKjGy28grL273vJV50o3skcazietPBlaE1-r62rS8Npi6ZeLWSj0/s1600/DSC_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr8aY6nJQxqmhLbwNhzIHo7EBnliK9twgt0P56OTeUNLLmhIJ_oOD3hukfR9DDOm2sVoamCGqZw104oVLLiPTr3yWAKjGy28grL273vJV50o3skcazietPBlaE1-r62rS8Npi6ZeLWSj0/s1600/DSC_0259.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Serve Spaghetti/pasta with sauce on top. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with warm garlic bread and salad. Enjoy!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-54241148480787816942014-02-26T23:15:00.001+00:002014-02-26T23:17:28.486+00:00Egg-Cheese sandwich (add sausage for more filling meal)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This post is a quick one since it has been a bit over too busy here of late. Egg & cheese sandwich is a quick and easy way to enjoy a lovely breakfast on the go and by adding sausage (chopped) it can make for a more filling meal. It can even make a quick lunch sandwich for one of those busy days. But remember to keep it refrigerated until lunch time :) Anjalie has hers with just salt and black pepper while Naz & I like it a bit more spicy with chilli sauce. So feel free to play around with the filling. You can even add a bit of mustard if you like.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8Jp0fIxXuju6eO35nxErco2oGM0lmTlOQEYLRGP_xasgs_PRAYSHRYqxwWDOQ0gZ9KCsYHQiADpc9Vq3CEeSztsZ_2Q2enZnJnEF3K2e3sFZt2PWR-oSZAXCyDguJTq-pdG4iye2NCKo/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8Jp0fIxXuju6eO35nxErco2oGM0lmTlOQEYLRGP_xasgs_PRAYSHRYqxwWDOQ0gZ9KCsYHQiADpc9Vq3CEeSztsZ_2Q2enZnJnEF3K2e3sFZt2PWR-oSZAXCyDguJTq-pdG4iye2NCKo/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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You will need:</div>
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Two slices of bread</div>
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2 boiled eggs</div>
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1/8 cup grated cheese</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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a dash of pepper/chilli sauce (for adults)</div>
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1 tsp Mayonnaise</div>
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Butter for the bread</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE73CPayuZSa5ih6TPi6gZLjtUF7S1wKy46-uZiGSvNVhwxWCfqM5tjQYuE1WFEpaJDpje1Hi1q83yQH_V697XuuJMpAAmJvF3R9ngVRz0IYCsvIb5TcNx0ih-mcNsTedt1NcuhZoy61MG/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE73CPayuZSa5ih6TPi6gZLjtUF7S1wKy46-uZiGSvNVhwxWCfqM5tjQYuE1WFEpaJDpje1Hi1q83yQH_V697XuuJMpAAmJvF3R9ngVRz0IYCsvIb5TcNx0ih-mcNsTedt1NcuhZoy61MG/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
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Chop boiled eggs into small bite-size pieces and add all the ingredients and mix them up together to make the filling.<br />
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But the slices of bread and add the filling and make your sandwich. If you like you can grill them in a sandwich maker for a hot meal.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-9566215501733662042014-02-19T12:32:00.000+00:002014-03-16T21:49:24.515+00:00Sausage Casserole in tomato sauce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Every Saturday afternoon we enjoy the most delicious and yet simple to make comfort food, aka, Sausage Casserole. Instead of the usual, "Am I staying home today?" in the mornings, Anjalie usually wakes up asking "Am I having sausage casserole today?" on Saturdays :) So this is an absolute favourite of the entire family. The only reason I haven't posted the recipe here until now is because I usually struggle to get the breakfast and lunch ready together on Saturdays after a late lie-in while rushing to prepare for Anjalie's dance lessons after lunch. But today there are no dance lessons and we had a lovely relaxed morning. So here is family favourite recipe. It is easy to put together and quick to make. I usually use vegetarian sausages (Couldron/quorn). But on occasion I have used chicken sausages for Anjalie & Naz alone. I assume it will work the same way for pork/beef sausages. So without further ado, here is the recipe...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02pcXfkugyTfBIj72Utx1e1HboZNcJ_zLbOY__Iel0z5bj4bEHnDbD5xAMrbG7lu4t37qtiHddeCAVdbR0Buum7wJf6VSa1f-P9EZ5PYm54liIfeqAIloSrcHX84COYf9j0dbgLb5eEUt/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02pcXfkugyTfBIj72Utx1e1HboZNcJ_zLbOY__Iel0z5bj4bEHnDbD5xAMrbG7lu4t37qtiHddeCAVdbR0Buum7wJf6VSa1f-P9EZ5PYm54liIfeqAIloSrcHX84COYf9j0dbgLb5eEUt/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a><br />
You will need:<br />
8 sausages (veggie/pork/beef) of your choice, snipped/sliced into bite size pieces<br />
1 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
3 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />
2 cups your choice of veggies- potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, peppers<br />
1 can of chopped tomatoes<br />
1 tsp sugar<br />
1/2 tsp black pepper<br />
1/4 tsp milk paprika<br />
1 tsp mixed dried herbs- thyme, oregano, basil and sage.<br />
Salt to taste<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_OUGRsamUI_GdKFrkUHviKTDBOJ25YXOAwLFboqJn5lGDtzHsEGDDncL8DGlFGjes6Jfmux4zI111RxblDKZCgG24Pb3kx991RSYFTjuodqLcTYT_l8cVGGEuM4aoMOV69bAMEimWJjz/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_OUGRsamUI_GdKFrkUHviKTDBOJ25YXOAwLFboqJn5lGDtzHsEGDDncL8DGlFGjes6Jfmux4zI111RxblDKZCgG24Pb3kx991RSYFTjuodqLcTYT_l8cVGGEuM4aoMOV69bAMEimWJjz/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
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Cook/fry sausages according to the instructions. Heat oil in a casserole/sauce pan. Fry onion and garlic until soft.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mGIdRyvQZ4bpM99zuVXs2LcO3J-1IGMgXWOpHWF0VAew4xTJLK7963ikn7XYwvcMOU0-ALRmxUQwtDG8I8WsAeRcqgUU4e5waHsOsiEB1Sl-DeFH0jN-5d5ZEBS6OfqaVPxQvHHHV4lI/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mGIdRyvQZ4bpM99zuVXs2LcO3J-1IGMgXWOpHWF0VAew4xTJLK7963ikn7XYwvcMOU0-ALRmxUQwtDG8I8WsAeRcqgUU4e5waHsOsiEB1Sl-DeFH0jN-5d5ZEBS6OfqaVPxQvHHHV4lI/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
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Add cooked sausages,..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkphODq9gb8L89HVZdob8c5Xmk1GwdUtQuC-TYoby0p9PqFh2qN7_WIUwXCSQfYm9W3uwLP7vtWOYwdl46feQD8e5plNVeDmbRagdmyhKq3xY3FDB9gfwHr9-uw3NZw5L2J2aTUzreCAHj/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkphODq9gb8L89HVZdob8c5Xmk1GwdUtQuC-TYoby0p9PqFh2qN7_WIUwXCSQfYm9W3uwLP7vtWOYwdl46feQD8e5plNVeDmbRagdmyhKq3xY3FDB9gfwHr9-uw3NZw5L2J2aTUzreCAHj/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
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veggies, tomatoes, sugar, salt, paprika, black pepper and herbs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmbIuI7fWGA6KNcxzL2cYzb6-X-L_2KZJeNlGr2kGtZkk0nPxDZylg1ZpJZzYL4rcDlzubJZh0b3ISjDS73jRQIz26XIovl3JECeEGA8JdCInY68eeTJwMGXkAXRShQvmY6WadBBo_BGs/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmbIuI7fWGA6KNcxzL2cYzb6-X-L_2KZJeNlGr2kGtZkk0nPxDZylg1ZpJZzYL4rcDlzubJZh0b3ISjDS73jRQIz26XIovl3JECeEGA8JdCInY68eeTJwMGXkAXRShQvmY6WadBBo_BGs/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
Cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 mins until veggies are cooked thoroughly. Stir occasionally to avoid burning on the bottom. Add 2-3 tbsp water occasionally if necessary. Alternatively, you can use a slow cooker or pop it in the oven at 140 degrees Celsius for 40-60 mins (fan assisted) for a delicious slow cooked meal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02pcXfkugyTfBIj72Utx1e1HboZNcJ_zLbOY__Iel0z5bj4bEHnDbD5xAMrbG7lu4t37qtiHddeCAVdbR0Buum7wJf6VSa1f-P9EZ5PYm54liIfeqAIloSrcHX84COYf9j0dbgLb5eEUt/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02pcXfkugyTfBIj72Utx1e1HboZNcJ_zLbOY__Iel0z5bj4bEHnDbD5xAMrbG7lu4t37qtiHddeCAVdbR0Buum7wJf6VSa1f-P9EZ5PYm54liIfeqAIloSrcHX84COYf9j0dbgLb5eEUt/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a><br />
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Serve warm with rice, pasta or polenta and salad for a lovely meal. Enjoy!<br />
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Tip: You can use store bought passata sauce instead of canned tomatoes for a variety.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-22940289767772067812014-02-14T21:23:00.002+00:002014-02-14T21:24:08.876+00:00Quick and easy chocolate cake in Microwave (egg free)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today being Valentine's day, Anjalie said she "felt" for chocolate pudding. So we decided to make a quick and easy chocolate cake in a mug for dessert tonight. We had tried this at our Vegan friend's house, two years ago, and had really enjoyed it and the recipe is so simple that I was able to recall it tonight. Anjalie made this all by herself with me around to assist with some of the measurements and also to take the hot cup from the microwave. So, of course, by all means feel free to recruit children to make this with you. Have fun making this together!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLicc9ikLY8wy5AwZ2U3chh3tydjNPwioxgVpQyaaT3UMAQDlqscJF8YCoJdC4uygrzDXrVYeUfQxBt10TlUFbKsmKkUJIaCeOPZd4Df7iYpdgC60CR_WZ_CILOE3tG_p_MeGeAHNKi1jr/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLicc9ikLY8wy5AwZ2U3chh3tydjNPwioxgVpQyaaT3UMAQDlqscJF8YCoJdC4uygrzDXrVYeUfQxBt10TlUFbKsmKkUJIaCeOPZd4Df7iYpdgC60CR_WZ_CILOE3tG_p_MeGeAHNKi1jr/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>You will need:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">3 tbsp. flour</span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">2 tbsp. sugar</span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. cocoa powder</span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">pinch of salt</span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">1/4 tsp baking powder</span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">2 tsp oil</span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">3 tablespoons milk/soya milk </span><br style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;" /><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px; text-align: center;">1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</span></span><br />
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Mix all dry ingredients in a mug<br />
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Add in the liquids next and mix well.<br />
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Microwave for 1 min and then at 20 secs at a time until when you insert a toothpick it comes clean. Let it cool and ice/decorate and serve. The cake will go back down a bit when cool. But it will still be soft :)<br />
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You can decorate with icing sugar or normal chocolate icing or any other icing of your choice. Share and enjoy!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-38616607834485219052014-02-05T22:57:00.002+00:002014-02-05T22:59:48.199+00:00Nellikai/Indian Gooseberry/Amla thokku<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of my first memories of my mother telling me to eat a particular food that is "very good for me" is Amla/nellikkai/Indian gooseberry. She used to insist that I at least give it a chance since it has good medicinal values. Now after so many years I find myself repeating the same thing to my daughter, albeit, with more evidence from scientific research. My favourite way to eat these otherwise tart, some what astringent and sweet all at the same time is in the form of thokku/pickle. Of course, Anjalie likes it too but I take out her "thokku" before I add chilli powder and keep it mild for her. For the benefits of these gooseberries please refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllanthus_emblica<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnAhiE0x7KFCZSo8SSY2dWX0WUXT3PQnG3_vD72mF6KRlc-Dho_n9HtD4yroSkkLMxI3sQsq9qOA7lAmb3T7cjRV19YP_YqE_SwVhOEFhRuwomqGxf2-P9ydJR5NlpqbmZxTVMSy4Ryuu/s1600/DSC_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnAhiE0x7KFCZSo8SSY2dWX0WUXT3PQnG3_vD72mF6KRlc-Dho_n9HtD4yroSkkLMxI3sQsq9qOA7lAmb3T7cjRV19YP_YqE_SwVhOEFhRuwomqGxf2-P9ydJR5NlpqbmZxTVMSy4Ryuu/s1600/DSC_0107.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a>You will need:<br />
Nellikkai/amla/Indian gooseberries- 10 nos<br />
2 tbsp sesame oil/cooking oil<br />
1/4 tsp mustard seeds<br />
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi/vendayam seeds powder<br />
1/8 tsp asfoetida<br />
1/4 tsp turmeric<br />
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste and omit for children)<br />
10 curry leaves<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Wash and boil the berries in salted water for 8-10 mins until soft. Cool and peel out the pegs, removing and discarding the seeds. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add powdered methi/fenugreek seeds, asfoetida and turmeric powder and cook for one minute. Add curry leaves and the berries and 1 tsp hot red chilli powder (skip for children) and salt (adjust according to taste). Cook well for a 1-2 mins. Cool and store in clean airtight jar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonDmHGSsbQ2t3Fr0n6fhMe5fekrsYg_DylRpFDTmrypo8yZBBEhyIYkzBqebcMmwiIrtxnvsK4Cle8j2dm9o2NxOKgmE1sLA2u1IjvgIXDfCxfGVXjUOHC7KB8X_ALErZUKV2hoqkWcUk/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonDmHGSsbQ2t3Fr0n6fhMe5fekrsYg_DylRpFDTmrypo8yZBBEhyIYkzBqebcMmwiIrtxnvsK4Cle8j2dm9o2NxOKgmE1sLA2u1IjvgIXDfCxfGVXjUOHC7KB8X_ALErZUKV2hoqkWcUk/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
The thokku goes well with any South Indian food. But my personal favourite is Yogurt/curd-rice and amla pickle. Anjalie loves this with her dal and rice. But remember to skip the chilli powder for children.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-53736040931111547142014-01-15T22:57:00.003+00:002014-01-15T22:57:25.034+00:00Akkara adisil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First of all, my sweet Pongal wishes to everyone who celebrates Pongal (the Tamil harvest festival)! En Iniya Pongal nal vazhthukkal! The Tamil winter solstice month, Marghazhi (Dec-Jan), is one of the wonderfully busiest month in Triplicane, where I grew up in Chennai. Music festivals, dance recitals, upanyasams and other art-forms are celebrated in full glory. I have such fond memories of these special times that, even though I live away, I make special effort to celebrate the Tamil winter solstice in my own way. The end of the Tamil winter solstice is marked by the harvest festival, Pongal which usually is for 4-5 days and, in it's own right, one of the best times of the year in Chennai for me. Like most Indian festivals, the winter solstice month and Pongal festival days mean extra special food cooked at home. At home, my folks usually make Akkara adisil on koodaravalli (27th day of the winter solstice) and sakkarai pongal (sweet pongal) on the Pongal festival day. Both dishes are similar with a small variation. Akkara adisil can be made with rice and varieties of dal, while, sakkarai pongal is made only with moong dal (yellow lentils). I personally prefer the mixed dal flavour in akkara adisil. Akkara adisil is beleived to be one of the traditional and ancient food recipe since it is mentioned in the works of Tamil saint Andaal (believed to have lived around<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">3102 BC). This does seem to be her favourite dish since it comes up in more <span style="font-family: inherit;">than one of her literary works. She first claims, in Thiruppavai, that</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Adan pinne paal soru, mooda nei peithu muzhangai vazhi vaara, koodi irunthu kulirinthellor empaavai" (My friends and I, later on, will enjoy ourselves together while we have rice cooked in milk covered in ghee so that the ghee runs and pours through to your elbows (while eating)...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and again in Naachiyaar thirumozhi she says,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">"innaDiSiloDu pAlamudu ooTTi eDutta en kOla kiLiyai </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">unnoDu tOzhamai koLLuvan kuyilE ulahaLandAn vara koovAi"</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(I have brought up my parrot on a rigid diet of sweet adisil and rice cooked in milk...)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and I do not blame her for this dish is very delectable and addictive too. As to the claim of being ancient I am aware of the evidence of the use of unrefined sugar/jaggery in food from a very long time so I think it is possible. Ancient or not we love this dish here too and I use molasses instead of jaggery which makes my life all the more easier to make this dish. So here is the recipe...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Raw rice - 1 cup</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Moong dal(yellow lentils), channa dal (yellow split peas), toor dal (pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Jaggery crushed - 1 and 1/4 cup or molasses - 8 tbsp</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Sugar - 1/4 cup (optional - use if you like it very sweet like we do in India!)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Saffron - 1 pinch</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Cashews - 12</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">raisins - 15</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Pachaikarpooram/edible camphor - a pinch</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Cardamom - 2</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Milk - 1 litre</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Ghee -6 tablespoons</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Wash rice and dhal. Drain the water completely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Heat a deep and heavy bottomed vessel (preferable pressure cooker), melt 1 tbsp ghee & roast the rice-dal mixture till it changes colour and slightly yellow/golden. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now add 1/2 litre of milk and allow it to boil in the milk. ( OR) pressure cook for 4 whistles. When done, mash the rice-dal well.<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Soak saffron in a tablespoon of hot milk. Crush jaggery, dissolve in very little water, strain out the dust and add it to the mashed rice (or simply add the molasses) along with sugar.<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now add 1/2 of the ghee and the remaining milk mix well and stir for a while. The consistency should be semi-solid. Add powdered cardamom, saffron and pachaikarpooram/edible camphor. Add in the remaining ghee. Garnish with fried cashews and raisins.</span><br />
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First of all, a very Happy New year to you all! Hope you had wonderful holiday season. Our holidays were so fantastic that I nearly did not want it to end. Much worse, after eating so much calorie-rich food for the holidays, we did not want to cook or eat again for another few years! But it never quite works like that and we were hungry again quite soon. So we decided to stick to simple food and sandwiches for the next couple of weeks. So that is one of the reasons I did not get much to write about in here. But today I got to try Ciabatta bread -which by the way is my favourite kind of bread. Personally, I love the crusty outside, extra-soft inside with those varying sizes of beautiful holes. I could it with pretty much anything, although, I tend to favour savoury food. With Anjalie wanting to help with the kneading of the bread I decided to try baking Ciabatta together with her. We are very pleased with how it has come out, which according to her is "perfect!" I did not need any further praise tbh, but, even my hubby who usually does not care for crusty breads said he enjoyed it and wants this exact same recipe repeated often. So I am one very pleased lady here. I have followed the measurements etc from BBC's Paul Hollywood continental recipes. Link <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ciabatta_05418" target="_blank">here</a>. But I just followed my own method that suits both Anjalie & my schedule.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoGwuJVgKUmZ2YAbsTcj3NRSEiyHeA_jPsUPl1Zp6tT74sCpBadeQLfrtmThCoojRyOqMj9h2VnaHSoD-9a98D1ZB-JxdYckQN8Ccq6hMaYdlYTNLHcJU49xNfPoBo8hn7b-_xqa7Knnd/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoGwuJVgKUmZ2YAbsTcj3NRSEiyHeA_jPsUPl1Zp6tT74sCpBadeQLfrtmThCoojRyOqMj9h2VnaHSoD-9a98D1ZB-JxdYckQN8Ccq6hMaYdlYTNLHcJU49xNfPoBo8hn7b-_xqa7Knnd/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><br />
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You will need:<br />
400 g white bread flour<br />
300 ml water<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
2 tsp yeast<br />
30 ml olive oil<br />
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Preferment:<br />
The night before you bake, mix <b>200 g</b> of flour with <b>1 tsp</b> yeast and <b>150 ml</b> water ((half of what is given the ingredients list). Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm, dry, place at least for 6 hrs. We did for 10 hrs (that is how long Anjalie sleeps at night). <br />
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Next day, mix the remaining 200 g flour, 1 tsp salt, 30 ml olive oil with the preferment and 150 ml water. Knead well for 6-10 mins (either by hand or using bread machine at dough setting). I used bread machine since I had to work. Leave to raise for 45 mins to 1 hr (or until the machine beeps).<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Divide dough into two pieces and place in loaf pans greased with olive oil. Do not worry about shaping. It will be very hard to shape this dough since it has water to flour ratio of 80%. Cover and leave to raise for 30 mins.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bake for 30 mins. The loaves should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on wire racks.</span></span></div>
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These loaves have longer shelf life than other non preferment treated breads. They are crusty on the outside, but super soft on the inside. They can be used for sandwiches, making bruschetta or panini.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-25585643015104040402013-12-25T01:32:00.001+00:002013-12-25T01:32:09.298+00:00Christmas cup cakes/ fairy cakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Christmas, although a busy time of the year, is absolutely the most wonderful time for us all to spend some quality time together. Since, Anjalie & I love our cooking-time together, we usually have a whole lot of baking to do. This year, Anjalie wanted to give her friends some cupcakes/fairy cakes at her nursery. Today was the last day at the nursery, so, we did some baking last evening and, although Anjalie did not stay at the nursery, we just dropped the cakes off and wished everyone Happy Holidays. We did have a busy day preparing for Christmas Eve dinner. But it was fun too. These cupcakes were decorated by Anjalie with some help from me and can be great fun to do with children.</div>
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You will need:</div>
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cupcakes/fairy cakes (you can use store bought mix or follow the recipe <a href="http://kuttybear-toddlerfoodideas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/chocolate-fairy-cakes-or-cup-cakes.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
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You will need frosting/icing (I used Betty crocker chocolate icing. For recipe to make from scratch see <a href="http://kuttybear-toddlerfoodideas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/moist-chocolate-cake-with-milk.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
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Royal icing/fondant/ready to roll icing - various colours like green, red, yellow, pink, white etc</div>
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coloured sugar (optional)</div>
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water</div>
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small pastry brush</div>
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Bake your cakes following the recipe. Allow to cool down completely.<br />
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One nice thing for me is that Anjalie loves every bit of the cake making - even the cleaning :)<br />
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Roll out the fondant/royal icing, cut out circles in various colours and cut out the shapes (like Christmas tree, holly leaves, snow flakes etc) needed to put together.<br />
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You can use cookie cutters or sugar craft kits.<br />
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Frost the cake with chocolate icing/frosting. Next add on the layer of fondant circles and using water (with a pastry brush), stick the rest of the shapes together. Here is one with holly.<br />
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Here we have made a few - Christmas trees, angels, snow flakes, holly and Santa. Anjalie needed a lot of help for Santa (naturally). But the rest she did them mostly on her own. If anything, you can simply sprinkle with coloured sugar too.<br />
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Happy Holidays!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-86261682064254131632013-12-20T02:00:00.001+00:002013-12-24T11:09:34.981+00:00Christmas cookies/biscuits - Stained glass and chocolate-vanilla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last year, for Christmas, Anjalie & I made Spritz cookies. This year we both wanted to try out her new baking set that she got as a birthday present. It includes a whisk, baking sheet, rolling pin and cookie cutters (shaped like tea pot, flower and a heart) - all in perfect sizes for her. She was really looking forward to rolling out and cutting the cookies. So I decided to go with simple sugar cookies and slightly modify them to make it festive for Christmas. I used to regularly make sugar cookies using <a href="http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Roll-Out-Cookie-Recipe" target="_blank">Wilton sugar cookie</a> recipe while we lived in the USA. Once we moved to the UK, I had trouble making these cookies following the same recipe. This was due to the difference in the flour. The flour in the UK is finer and cannot take the amount of butter asked for in the Wilton cookie recipe. This led to the cookies expanding a lot while baking (despite chilling and/or freezing)- leading to a blob! After trying to increase the amount of flour, a couple of times with disastrous results, I eventually found a recipe that works perfectly here in the UK- by reducing the amount of butter. I have simply jazzed up this basic recipe for Christmas using candies and milk chocolates. I am really pleased with the results. It wowed our friends and family who said it looked and tasted great and Anjalie & I had a fantastic time baking the cookies together! So, without further ado, here is the recipe...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>You will need:<br />
130g unsalted butter, softened<br />
200g castar sugar, or granulated sugar, processed in blender or food processor for 30 seconds<br />
½ tsp. Salt<br />
1 large egg<br />
2 tsp. Vanilla extract<br />
320g cups plain flour<br />
assorted coloured hard candies/lollies - for stained glass cookies. If they are big crush them with rolling pin - do not use food processor!<br />
100 g milk/dark cooking chocolate (broken into small piece) - for chocolate-vanilla cookies.<br />
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Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (fans assisted).<br />
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In a mixing bowl add sugar and butter and<br />
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using an electric mixer or whisk, mix well until fluffy (1-2 mins)<br />
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Add the egg and vanilla extract<br />
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and blend well.<br />
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Add the flour 1/3 at a time and<br />
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blend in low speed. When all the flour is incorporated,<br />
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knead with hand to make a soft dough.<br />
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Divide dough into 2 or 3 parts and cover with cling film. You can either roll out immediately or keep it refrigerated for 1-2 hrs. If refrigerating, leave it out, to get it softened, before rolling out.<br />
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Lightly dust the work surface with icing sugar<br />
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and roll out the dough into 1/2 inch thickness.<br />
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Using an offset spatula- make sure the dough does not stick to the work surface.<br />
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cut desired shapes using cookie cutters.<br />
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Place the cookies on the baking sheets with 2-3 cms apart.<br />
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For the stained glass effect, cut small holes in the cookies.<br />
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Place the candies whole (if small) or crushed (if large).<br />
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I used a small one for the small hole.<br />
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Repeat until all dough is finished.<br />
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Bake for 12 mins, taking care not to burn the candy. When the cookies start to brown slightly on the edges remove from oven. Leave on the pan to cool completely before removing and placing on a wire rack.<br />
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For the chocky cookies. Bake the cookies (without candies) for 12 mins. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
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Melt chocolate either in a double-boiler or in the microwave (30-20 secs at a time).<br />
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Whisk now and again to avoid burning.<br />
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Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate to coat evenly or spoon melted chocolate onto the cookies. Decorate with coloured sugar or buttons etc. Alternatively, you can use royal icing/sugar paste to decorate the cookies.<br />
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Share and enjoy!</div>
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The sugar cookies are very versatile and can be jazzed up to make them all the more festive while having fun making them with children. I hope you got some ideas to make and enjoy your cookies for the holiday season from this post. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-21332530466185489592013-12-16T00:12:00.000+00:002013-12-16T00:12:22.669+00:00Christmas alphabet cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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With Christmas break nearing, my now 4 yr old, Anjalie is really excited about making cookies and cakes with me. Last week during our morning walk to her nursery we had a conversation which started about her discussing her starting school in the new year. She, naturally, was excited about it and said she wanted to practice her alphabets. Somehow, it soon turned to Christmas and she wanted to make cookies and cupcakes with me. So this weekend, we made cookies and practised writing alphabets all in in one go! We wrote Christmas with our batter and made Christmas ornaments cookies with sprinkled coloured sugar for a festive touch. You can experiment with your favourite shapes too. Children will especially have a great time with this. Depending on the flour, the piping out of the dough is quite easy for a child to do. But if you find that it is harder then add a tbsp or two of melted butter to make it easier.</div>
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You will need:</div>
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100g (4oz) butter</div>
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25g (1oz) caster sugar</div>
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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100g (4oz) self raising flour</div>
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75g (3oz) milk (or plain) chocolate</div>
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Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F / Gas Mark 4. Grease baking trays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG_DK__4Un9NRn5AqqrS2-ya2wCRNKppYl39VG_lrr1AX8LqHpfRn6kOo9QKt57cG5VlRb0lYBBnTzH55lpY9FL4MAcHc-HOpICzhxvL-norTBnX4KsHW2gRIxbESkqQsw7DUewo2uYe1/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG_DK__4Un9NRn5AqqrS2-ya2wCRNKppYl39VG_lrr1AX8LqHpfRn6kOo9QKt57cG5VlRb0lYBBnTzH55lpY9FL4MAcHc-HOpICzhxvL-norTBnX4KsHW2gRIxbESkqQsw7DUewo2uYe1/s200/DSC_0092.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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In a mixing bowl add butter and sugar..<br />
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and vanilla.<br />
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Mix well with a whisk until creamy.<br />
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Anjalie did all the mixing and piping. I just handled the oven. So this is a easy recipe for baking with children.<br />
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Add flour and mix...<br />
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into a soft dough.<br />
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Place in a piping bag and pipe letters on the baking tray.<br />
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Bake until lightly browned on the sides for 8-10 mins.<br />
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Alternatively, pipe into various other shapes or circles for ornaments and decorate with coloured sugar.<br />
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Bake until lightly browned on the side. Store in an air-tight container if any remains! Merry Christmas!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-68299759945333733422013-12-08T00:25:00.002+00:002013-12-08T00:28:34.865+00:00Birthday cake (Peppa pig)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tomorrow is Anjalie's fourth birthday party. Part of me is still amazed thinking "has it been that long?!" This year she asked for a Peppa Pig cake. Well, you can never have too much Peppa Pig (at least in our home). Last year, she was totally engrossed in Thomas Tank Engine and asked for "Choo-choo train". At least, she keeps me busy, lol! Along with Peppa Pig her next favourite TV show is number jacks. So I thought to combine the two together for her cake. I really do enjoy making these for her. This time around I actually managed to take a few pictures of the making process. So here they are..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn_AJkva3kc6IB82zNGGMq057wa23KRidg_f_sKv9mNwmbFkquJ0ARZK8D3UEiLNwNJ_nebelASPZFyWGqIm1ml-6xBCR1faGCqUlRAjx8giMJv1Yy7ZJSrdaMsldcH-2ExOnPsZWtsaw/s1600/995267_444452479009972_1397904416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn_AJkva3kc6IB82zNGGMq057wa23KRidg_f_sKv9mNwmbFkquJ0ARZK8D3UEiLNwNJ_nebelASPZFyWGqIm1ml-6xBCR1faGCqUlRAjx8giMJv1Yy7ZJSrdaMsldcH-2ExOnPsZWtsaw/s320/995267_444452479009972_1397904416_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>You will need:<br />
one round 9 inch cake (of your favourite flavour)<br />
Chocolate frosting/buttercream icing or any of your favourite icing.<br />
Fondant/royal icing:<br />
Grass green - 1 kg<br />
Lincoln green/bottle green - 200 gm<br />
Red - 200 gm<br />
Chocolate - 100 gm<br />
Yellow - 200 gm<br />
Blue - 100 gm<br />
white - 100 gm<br />
Black - 25 gm<br />
Pale pink/Flesh - 100 gm<br />
Edible glue/water - as needed<br />
Edible Tylose powder - 2 tbsp<br />
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Before we go to the Peppa Pig cake...here are few picture of my "Choo-choo train" cake for her last year and it was my first attempt at using fondant. For this cake, I did not make any figurines or anything that needed setting. So I first baked two 1/2 train shaped cakes using Wilton choo-choo train pan. Simply, poured the 1.5 kg of chocolate cake batter into the two halves and baked them. I left them to cool over night and iced them together with chocolate frosting. I then rolled out the blue fondant and covered the cake as evenly as possible, decorated with chocolate buttons and marshmallows. For the coach, I baked 1/2 kg cake batter in a loaf pan, cut it in half, sandwiched them and iced them together. I then covered it with red fondant and decorated it with chocolate buttons.<br />
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This time though, I planned to make two round cakes and sandwich them together and simply decorate with Peppa and George figurines. These figurines and ornaments are made from edible materials and had to dry over night. So I started making them first before baking the cake.<br />
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For making any kind of figurines, flowers or any other ornaments (like the sun) you can add a very small pinch of the Tylose powder to the small amount of fondant to get the modelling paste. Simply take a piece of fondant (shown in the pic) add a small pinch of the tylose powder and knead until the fondant stops cracking and becomes more stretchy. You will definitely be able to tell when it happens. This is my first time with it too and I felt a marked difference in the feel of the fondant.<br />
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Make sure to keep the modelling paste in a zip lock/plastic bag/keep it covered when not using it. They tend to dry out very quickly. They are excellent in keeping the shapes you are making. See for example, Peppa's boots/wellies in the pic left.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgRlWjGVG8EEYzzZfBegX2F48gCgacsRF3tDSAfJU9c6tAziqBz-5S9nXLBTgdhHx8EJKzU0C1AUb9IXVGw7QXsM8sZcV-P4wvtmk3vYxmsDH3EkYD-WglaA7lrHil3XMqoBVztTJPN5P/s1600/DSC_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgRlWjGVG8EEYzzZfBegX2F48gCgacsRF3tDSAfJU9c6tAziqBz-5S9nXLBTgdhHx8EJKzU0C1AUb9IXVGw7QXsM8sZcV-P4wvtmk3vYxmsDH3EkYD-WglaA7lrHil3XMqoBVztTJPN5P/s200/DSC_0446.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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They make excellent flowers, butterflies or anything that takes your fancy. Egg cartons are excellent to set the flowers and butterflies to dry as they give the lovely curves to the flowers and flap to the butterfly wings to help with the 3-D look.<br />
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We even made a Sun. Here is my first Sun for Peppa. Inserting a tooth pick while the modelling paste is wet will allow me to insert the Sun easily into the cake. But the Sun looked a bit large compared to the rest of the figurines so Anjalie and I ate it and discarded the tooth pick :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAvX4dkOHZRjTxoKI4vk3PS9erpt2O4EEAi87SS-GwFy5DofBzNqGyNI6Ba-vh-PesWKPfJzfremxf_TsrOeUP8GLzXnmRBKV4-pTiuRb0zynioAkWt6w8-8ALPSS86Vt_bTBfE-D9id2/s1600/DSC_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAvX4dkOHZRjTxoKI4vk3PS9erpt2O4EEAi87SS-GwFy5DofBzNqGyNI6Ba-vh-PesWKPfJzfremxf_TsrOeUP8GLzXnmRBKV4-pTiuRb0zynioAkWt6w8-8ALPSS86Vt_bTBfE-D9id2/s200/DSC_0449.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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Anjalie who is ever helpful in the kitchen enjoyed kneading the fondant and the tylose powder together. Here she is helping me make George.<br />
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Here are Peppa and George. But in our excitement to eat the Sun, we forgot their ears!<br />
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But it was sorted in no time, whew!<br />
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It was partially cloudy day here. So we went with that instead or a sunny day. Again tooth picks inserted while the paste is still wet makes it easier to insert the cloudy day into the cake easily.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVmUH9Tz5wiq5vFEduOoxyzbDeuXj7CbWt00mcbeU31PbDFTFKbQaP0-pTMue-q5cPFAMFuaX39XAXvsNLIIwVn2q3jSsgTwAYsvc1stRpY1ONp8tOppi4xdvdIddMrWRBJfIgIkiKKZG/s1600/DSC_0451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVmUH9Tz5wiq5vFEduOoxyzbDeuXj7CbWt00mcbeU31PbDFTFKbQaP0-pTMue-q5cPFAMFuaX39XAXvsNLIIwVn2q3jSsgTwAYsvc1stRpY1ONp8tOppi4xdvdIddMrWRBJfIgIkiKKZG/s200/DSC_0451.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anjalie wanted number jacks too. So here is number jack 4. She giggled for a while at his smile. You never know what sets them off :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_bv9tyN_0q7oTpa_lW-Xktle533UR2CdAGFlEMemDkXAV7ZUqVkZ8Fa9HAtNT7YwLEl6oADyRFeigSr2CgnU4MDh5wjT8TTkJdxoE4jd9zP_KfDWypFRrMsubBTyNtbgbj7oNX-n19kH/s1600/DSC_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_bv9tyN_0q7oTpa_lW-Xktle533UR2CdAGFlEMemDkXAV7ZUqVkZ8Fa9HAtNT7YwLEl6oADyRFeigSr2CgnU4MDh5wjT8TTkJdxoE4jd9zP_KfDWypFRrMsubBTyNtbgbj7oNX-n19kH/s200/DSC_0452.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Of course, the name of the special person...<br />
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It is time to put all these together. First I baked two 9 inch Chocolate cakes (1 kg cake batter in total).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7Q09EDphzQUiXX3IvwBIvHnoWlrWbSeTW7P_Cmce2uEy1_SOcEtVIzb_-MzzjVptuvA-DHaO8PtBWb30f-rJJS3UUbuJWDFT-1k97N6OTAfC3mMfw8R-Bkzl-8y_iS-i_bVNyje-3fd-/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7Q09EDphzQUiXX3IvwBIvHnoWlrWbSeTW7P_Cmce2uEy1_SOcEtVIzb_-MzzjVptuvA-DHaO8PtBWb30f-rJJS3UUbuJWDFT-1k97N6OTAfC3mMfw8R-Bkzl-8y_iS-i_bVNyje-3fd-/s200/DSC_0001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Allowed them to cool and settle overnight and frosted them with chocolate icing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYbRznh7biYNP-KUUACCDtguYOA9Yd_xbWoWpimzWKsmF8nvTfTdQBrUuaiu6fetuSC02rno4_P3qxpW1tOyDIr8g7t0q1xfGjmvrpCWi1rF4OZm0D5QGK_AvA0X3NR2-N7Ah7pt-CghJ/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYbRznh7biYNP-KUUACCDtguYOA9Yd_xbWoWpimzWKsmF8nvTfTdQBrUuaiu6fetuSC02rno4_P3qxpW1tOyDIr8g7t0q1xfGjmvrpCWi1rF4OZm0D5QGK_AvA0X3NR2-N7Ah7pt-CghJ/s200/DSC_0002.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Next I rolled out the grass green fondant and covered the cakes. Don't worry about the mess, I covered them with grass :) Never use modelling paste (fondant +tylose powder) to cover the entire cake. They will dry into hard candies!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea1kFTblik_6mXo8cP09ld_7yCTnZJ27IlhWPQcYeNFwfO7oZ0tTZwwpSbg40am_5UUvBw90oUYOro92vkkrDKk7a8Re-FDuaUKb0i3Rcz7VWHpw7oLzRvZ1MpiJ3USi8laQBdPYdTKU3/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea1kFTblik_6mXo8cP09ld_7yCTnZJ27IlhWPQcYeNFwfO7oZ0tTZwwpSbg40am_5UUvBw90oUYOro92vkkrDKk7a8Re-FDuaUKb0i3Rcz7VWHpw7oLzRvZ1MpiJ3USi8laQBdPYdTKU3/s200/DSC_0004.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Next, I covered the bottom edge with grass made from darker green fondant. I simply made this shape using a sharp kitchen knife by cutting rectangular strips and the snipping them to form grass using kitchen scissors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTA_2RPwTrfaX5HI3mZdKQL8FM_DXkSC8eysAyv3zYGTzk1yVhCFyqtkLQh_JktFwqWlAJshPy8JGbX0yVlKBAoZD8Es3mj9JfLX7-_qvCbczpKKTicxSovlGImCHxthC09RL3Tn6VlaMJ/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTA_2RPwTrfaX5HI3mZdKQL8FM_DXkSC8eysAyv3zYGTzk1yVhCFyqtkLQh_JktFwqWlAJshPy8JGbX0yVlKBAoZD8Es3mj9JfLX7-_qvCbczpKKTicxSovlGImCHxthC09RL3Tn6VlaMJ/s200/DSC_0005.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Next make muddy puddles with chocolate fondant (including few splashes).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1yY6B4NwKGVYcL1dl3NbW3sUV3cZ0Wlp7Z3GLcBe7PZmj2r9TDQMQ_rCWFrxbwzdZ6jKetvQtIRH-dHij1quJWcxgMtliy67DH4S01Px8S3S4fVenqn1jHVrsN359tfYdqJrq2jvDgwc/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1yY6B4NwKGVYcL1dl3NbW3sUV3cZ0Wlp7Z3GLcBe7PZmj2r9TDQMQ_rCWFrxbwzdZ6jKetvQtIRH-dHij1quJWcxgMtliy67DH4S01Px8S3S4fVenqn1jHVrsN359tfYdqJrq2jvDgwc/s200/DSC_0006.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Decorate with the rest of the ornaments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQd0Y1L85mavKerOXpbsNS3vDLUhlc11sLN1fWzi-gQ5KZK5zgaEKa4MNMSWjBFV1-JCtr3lx3Ly9Ga6lChUSSWzVJbBHhodiClJNK3KBeXKhUH25W2CKUczRvb0HDsAW0sJoOZv-7CR_/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQd0Y1L85mavKerOXpbsNS3vDLUhlc11sLN1fWzi-gQ5KZK5zgaEKa4MNMSWjBFV1-JCtr3lx3Ly9Ga6lChUSSWzVJbBHhodiClJNK3KBeXKhUH25W2CKUczRvb0HDsAW0sJoOZv-7CR_/s200/DSC_0007.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyqzvNqHAxzGc_Jjpq8Z3vBQa9scUbwm5dHhikGRx8ZLObU_57e3dk7846eVLtsbTjZNbZNQWGrTk_L_-y6KXNajBhncE3upm-2Gv0F7Fy_aUmMGmKldFcWUb7ReVzlhyphenhyphenunQtJnuChJT4/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyqzvNqHAxzGc_Jjpq8Z3vBQa9scUbwm5dHhikGRx8ZLObU_57e3dk7846eVLtsbTjZNbZNQWGrTk_L_-y6KXNajBhncE3upm-2Gv0F7Fy_aUmMGmKldFcWUb7ReVzlhyphenhyphenunQtJnuChJT4/s200/DSC_0008.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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However, while packing the cake two of the sun's rays broke. They do dry hard and get brittle. So to avoid any mishaps when transporting, we went with a simpler sun and covered the tooth pick (that was showing with more green modelling paste)...see below<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn_AJkva3kc6IB82zNGGMq057wa23KRidg_f_sKv9mNwmbFkquJ0ARZK8D3UEiLNwNJ_nebelASPZFyWGqIm1ml-6xBCR1faGCqUlRAjx8giMJv1Yy7ZJSrdaMsldcH-2ExOnPsZWtsaw/s1600/995267_444452479009972_1397904416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn_AJkva3kc6IB82zNGGMq057wa23KRidg_f_sKv9mNwmbFkquJ0ARZK8D3UEiLNwNJ_nebelASPZFyWGqIm1ml-6xBCR1faGCqUlRAjx8giMJv1Yy7ZJSrdaMsldcH-2ExOnPsZWtsaw/s320/995267_444452479009972_1397904416_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Your Peppa pig cake is ready! Happy Birthday to my dearest Angel, Anjalie!<br />
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I hope these give you a few ideas for your next cake :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-89287292163046588512013-11-26T22:17:00.003+00:002013-12-08T00:26:45.167+00:00Grandma's Trinidadian style chicken pot roast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While, visiting family is wonderful on many levels from enriching our lives and helping with recharging ourselves, I also find that it provides excellent opportunities for learning new (for me anyway) family recipes. This time while we were on vacation, enjoying our visit with our family, I watched and learned how my MIL makes her (ever popular with Anjalie) pot roast chicken. I am indeed very pleased that it is Anjalie's favourite. The recipe involves simple ingredients and the method is so very easy and quick to make. While my MIL made the food, all I had to do was click away the pics for my step-by-step recipe to share with you all. So here it is just as she made it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MJTArhRJubzgaGVX_NLJTOiW6CTgYG668a7j57ZstoSULddTLRX7CpaB9EjWX2Qke0kNKaPdHFbXDgMg9YmpB3M4NXu4HrMgxIjItA8yPTV9r7DwyMYYAlVCgfduMNHlh683JTYZEHtT/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MJTArhRJubzgaGVX_NLJTOiW6CTgYG668a7j57ZstoSULddTLRX7CpaB9EjWX2Qke0kNKaPdHFbXDgMg9YmpB3M4NXu4HrMgxIjItA8yPTV9r7DwyMYYAlVCgfduMNHlh683JTYZEHtT/s320/DSC_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a>You will need:<br />
2 lbs chicken pieces (with bones) - cleaned & washed.<br />
salt & black pepper to taste<br />
1 tbsp tomato puree/ketchup<br />
1 tsp low-sodium soya sauce<br />
1 small pimento (mild ones for children) chillies<br />
1 tsp garlic paste<br />
1 tsp cilantro/coriander leaves chopped<br />
2 stalks salad onions/chives<br />
2 cups of water<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxks1i4iUP_ZbpA_SR0AUz9rtx90EkVWGJfGZHtlQbQJVXoUKR6nX5pT_6kyw0KY8iYATa8LZCXovJStXYd8RM52qYHQ_2ozpEQG1DFnku0GINL1p9gcA9czmd5_kOYJ4I03xHsqbL_lD/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxks1i4iUP_ZbpA_SR0AUz9rtx90EkVWGJfGZHtlQbQJVXoUKR6nX5pT_6kyw0KY8iYATa8LZCXovJStXYd8RM52qYHQ_2ozpEQG1DFnku0GINL1p9gcA9czmd5_kOYJ4I03xHsqbL_lD/s200/DSC_0008.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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In a large mixing bowl add the cleaned pieces of chicken,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxpurB5H0-rPc3HB80-5-eVljfx65wWlRoOUsiB22peCr1nA4oMsXew72qAEox0rbJ9l8eSQ7rp9kwuGfvH1h3qqL4GkfqJx0RsgKQhLxskIjx5RZ3BMN8HE8Pz3-q51WcJts7MMUIU8X/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxpurB5H0-rPc3HB80-5-eVljfx65wWlRoOUsiB22peCr1nA4oMsXew72qAEox0rbJ9l8eSQ7rp9kwuGfvH1h3qqL4GkfqJx0RsgKQhLxskIjx5RZ3BMN8HE8Pz3-q51WcJts7MMUIU8X/s200/DSC_0009.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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season with salt<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpI5fAWbk1R8GNvX_80mGoeF9FzKbkkKXhJRuwf1LhhZye0dEjx3WVsVR_I9i4sPELsnynhjUW3w689YPcW5Z9TDfNnJAHd3Rc04hn9v1wwIXbrYh3QjbUCInxYMmLfDGbI37Obfkxjgmm/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpI5fAWbk1R8GNvX_80mGoeF9FzKbkkKXhJRuwf1LhhZye0dEjx3WVsVR_I9i4sPELsnynhjUW3w689YPcW5Z9TDfNnJAHd3Rc04hn9v1wwIXbrYh3QjbUCInxYMmLfDGbI37Obfkxjgmm/s200/DSC_0010.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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and black pepper to taste.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAo0Uh7Dkq_mNm94I7WoZOgZnEu3yBY_7zvL6ZPpo-aDO7nnNDJVVBVS4N3Yk6xAR4A8-SiHyKP2FbYAc9PcsmuBAsxDDGBz43OaE1ywuAcMIOkCGYYYMGTpL6gOpfMYCAicYx7b-DXfT/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAo0Uh7Dkq_mNm94I7WoZOgZnEu3yBY_7zvL6ZPpo-aDO7nnNDJVVBVS4N3Yk6xAR4A8-SiHyKP2FbYAc9PcsmuBAsxDDGBz43OaE1ywuAcMIOkCGYYYMGTpL6gOpfMYCAicYx7b-DXfT/s200/DSC_0011.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Add tomato puree/ketchup and soya sauce,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb698MN_t2cUjAXdhsOWlLKTOowa3VUKeSL7PmOV0miW1WsKKVSFJg1tcPeo4PzgkewL-IbDXkMAQv6D8S-Rad4Xd-NlF_c1kQs9uDYWEmnrMbnXFjjjDLQh2WcRmr2CajZIF05ZAn_KlX/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb698MN_t2cUjAXdhsOWlLKTOowa3VUKeSL7PmOV0miW1WsKKVSFJg1tcPeo4PzgkewL-IbDXkMAQv6D8S-Rad4Xd-NlF_c1kQs9uDYWEmnrMbnXFjjjDLQh2WcRmr2CajZIF05ZAn_KlX/s200/DSC_0012.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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followed by the rest of the ingredients except water. You may use fresh hot chillies instead of pimentos for adults who prefer them. Mix well.<br />
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Place the chicken in pressure cooker. Add the water and cook for approximately 20 mins (until chicken is mostly cooked).<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius (160 fro fan assisted ovens). Place the cooked chicken in an oven proof dish spread into a single layer. Cook for another 15-20 mins (until slightly browned on top). Serve warm with rice pilau, casseroles or mash and vegetables. You can use a slow-cooker instead of a pressure cooker to get similar results.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MJTArhRJubzgaGVX_NLJTOiW6CTgYG668a7j57ZstoSULddTLRX7CpaB9EjWX2Qke0kNKaPdHFbXDgMg9YmpB3M4NXu4HrMgxIjItA8yPTV9r7DwyMYYAlVCgfduMNHlh683JTYZEHtT/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MJTArhRJubzgaGVX_NLJTOiW6CTgYG668a7j57ZstoSULddTLRX7CpaB9EjWX2Qke0kNKaPdHFbXDgMg9YmpB3M4NXu4HrMgxIjItA8yPTV9r7DwyMYYAlVCgfduMNHlh683JTYZEHtT/s320/DSC_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-68587326866305719962013-10-25T18:02:00.000+01:002013-12-08T00:27:45.046+00:00Oven grilled lemon-garlic fish/quorn fillets (in foil packets)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Fish/Quorn fillet features around 2 times in a week in our home. Mainly because, Anjalie enjoys fish very much and also because it is very healthy. On days when I am in a hurry to multi-task oven baked/grilled fish is just perfect to put together a healthy dinner/lunch with </span><a href="http://kuttybear-toddlerfoodideas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/oven-roasted-potatoes.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">roast potatoes</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and a quick salad. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">You will need:</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">400 gms of cod/haddock/quorn fish style fillets</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">2 tsp lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp garlic paste</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp herbs of your choice (like thyme, parsley, sage etc)</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup fish/veg. stock</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp olive oil (or cooking oil)</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Kitchen foil</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">salt and black pepper to taste</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SnXTmmAqbWUqZGGeGVPK6sLXFXLPmGJ9JwiZ0usgmfHIl1tFMXGArpUUqlsPOvxcYvhf2FWhAJ522HbaFTtI9TnV7e2W-AD8o3NHAm1jpvr7DUzSfqmf7svPM8HKWuoO0hlqIlWWTl8K/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SnXTmmAqbWUqZGGeGVPK6sLXFXLPmGJ9JwiZ0usgmfHIl1tFMXGArpUUqlsPOvxcYvhf2FWhAJ522HbaFTtI9TnV7e2W-AD8o3NHAm1jpvr7DUzSfqmf7svPM8HKWuoO0hlqIlWWTl8K/s200/DSC_0136.JPG" width="200" /></a>Mix lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, oil and stock well. Wash, clean and cut the fillets into portion sizes. Season them well with salt and black pepper. Place them in clean kitchen foil. Pour the sauce made with the stock to cover well (making sure there is enough </div>
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Fold the foil to make a packet. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan assisted). Bake for 15-20 mins until the the fish fillets are opaque and the quorn fillets are cooked thoroughly all the way through.<br />
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Serve warm with roasted potatoes and fresh salad.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-33780882464642416562013-10-22T00:09:00.000+01:002013-12-08T00:28:03.234+00:00Chicken/Quorn garlic-lemon Goujons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These are excellent finger/party food that will please kids and adults alike. They are easy to make as well which is a big plus for me at least. Combined with their favourite dip these are bound to be a huge hit with children. I serve these with salad/steamed veggies like broccoli to make a balanced dinner/lunch meal for toddlers and add a serving of mash to make a filling meal for adults or older children. I tend to make these in two different ways: on rare </span>occasions<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I deep fry them; regularly I shallow fry them and then bake them the rest of the way until cooked in the oven. Naturally, the oven baked one is the healthier option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You will need:</span><br />
400g mini chicken/quorn fillets (You can cut regular chicken breasts into strips)<br />
1 tsp garlic paste + 2 tbsp lemon<br />
salt & black pepper to taste. <br />
35g plain flour <br />
1 large egg, beaten <br />
100g fresh breadcrumbs <br />
3 tbsp vegetable oil for shallow frying or enough oil to deep fry (if not baking)<br />
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Clean and season the chicken strips with lemon, salt, pepper and garlic paste. Season flour with salt & black pepper to taste in a plate. In separate bowls beat the egg and add bread crumbs. Heat oil for shallow/deep frying in a pan. For shallow frying heat oil to med-high and for deep frying heat oil to med. Meanwhile, (for healthy option) preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan assisted). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZgLyZO7VU-LSfX6XHTIIsyW_UId43bY86i7NYa7_4L94SWXc_Kjbu50Itsvk447rJooN_7Z1XsgDcESvLfFZti4FAvmJcVO34HwZw1v1D_5mgwPkN0p4j5ogg377P5KAJSmAI1Aw-0A3/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZgLyZO7VU-LSfX6XHTIIsyW_UId43bY86i7NYa7_4L94SWXc_Kjbu50Itsvk447rJooN_7Z1XsgDcESvLfFZti4FAvmJcVO34HwZw1v1D_5mgwPkN0p4j5ogg377P5KAJSmAI1Aw-0A3/s200/DSC_0040.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Dip the chicken/quorn strips in flour first, then the egg and finally the bread crumbs to coat well. Shallow fry in the oil for 2 mins on each side until golden. Place in an oven proof dish and cook for 10 mins in the oven. For deep frying, simply deep fry at med heat for 5-6 mins until cooked thoroughly and the crumbs are golden. Serve warm with favourite dip.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-66505781913616627892013-10-09T19:50:00.000+01:002013-10-09T19:50:56.040+01:00Quick and easy milk Pedas (Indian milk Sweets just in time for Navathri/Dussehra)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This one is a quick and easy milk Pedas (Indian sweet), ready in less than 10 mins. Just the thing for me! Dussehra/Navarathri is a 10-day festival celebrated in many parts of India and Nepal. <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">For more info on the festival try <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navarathri">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navarathri</a>. To me this is usually my go to recipe for the many Indian festivals that line up and I (usually) cannot get holidays for them. It is ready in 10 mins or less and taste just like the ones I get back home! What more do I want?! Being a milk sweet children like them too. Usually Indian sweets are quite sweet. So I reduce the amount I use since we prefer them not too sweet. You can adjust the sugar according to your taste.</span></div>
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2 cups milk powder </div>
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1 can sweetened condensed milk (approx 400 g)</div>
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1/4 cup sugar (optional-only if you like how really sweet Indian sweets are!)</div>
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1/2 tsp cardamom powder</div>
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2 tbsps butter/ghee. </div>
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Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave (takes approx 30 sec). Mix in milk powder, cardamom, sugar (if using) and condensed milk into the butter. Cook for 1 min in microwave. Stir and cook for another 30 secs, stir & repeat (for 20-30 sec) at a time until the whole mixture comes off from the sides easily (& butter will start to separate). I took me a total cooking of 2 min. Let it cool a little until it is easy for you to handle with bare hands but not totally cold. It will be easy to shape if the mixture is warm. Take a small golf ball sized piece, roll it into a ball between your palms and flatten slightly to make the pedas (makes around 20-24). Place your favourite nut in the middle. Usually, in India, they use pistachios, but, I used cashews since Anjalie is allergic to nuts except to cashews. Store in air tight container.</div>
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For long term use and keep refrigerated. They will harden in the fridge. When needed pop it back in the microwave for a few secs to get them to room temp. Both Naz & Anjalie love these and I skip the 1/4 cup sugar since we find that they are sweet enough for us without it.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-54719909119246435162013-10-05T15:21:00.000+01:002013-10-05T15:21:00.509+01:00Oven Roasted Potatoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a long while now, I have been experimenting with a hope of getting delicious roasted potatoes - crispy outsides and soft & fluffy insides. Trouble was to find the perfect variety of potatoes and also master the techniques to oven roast them successfully- until now that is. For past two or 3 experiments I was able to achieve the crispy texture and soft insides using Maris Piper potatoes (esp. new potatoes!). I got the technique to coat with flour from BBC good food website which does the trick. But the recipe itself was a bit bland for us. Here is the <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1303/ultimate-roast-potatoes" target="_blank">link</a>. Since then I have modified it slightly to create what Anjalie & Naz called "Yummiest roast potatoes" that I have ever made :) Here it goes...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASmhFqxvBKuAwE2K_FFkiWDDz9vAPXNwymKCOKfmYJQYUYO_BUlPH2goFNWU3QYtHbrmrzrT7hWPwvJArczRJFMYFrWugkQMzkSgelL5JQwbYpWXG7QtGSFizWLU7b8GyvK3SKuZz2E85/s1600/DSC_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASmhFqxvBKuAwE2K_FFkiWDDz9vAPXNwymKCOKfmYJQYUYO_BUlPH2goFNWU3QYtHbrmrzrT7hWPwvJArczRJFMYFrWugkQMzkSgelL5JQwbYpWXG7QtGSFizWLU7b8GyvK3SKuZz2E85/s320/DSC_0138.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You will need:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1kg Maris Piper potato (preferably new potatoes)- peeled and cut to bite size pieces</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Water (as needed)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">100ml olive/vegetable oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 tsp flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tsp black pepper (coarsely ground)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp parsley, oregano, thyme or any of your favourite dried herbs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> 3-4 cloves of garlic crushed (with
the skin on)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">½ tsp garlic granules (optional) – do not use garlic salt. It can burn
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Salt to taste (preferably coarsely ground rock salt)</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Pre heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (fan assisted). In a large pot add the potatoes and enough water to cover all the potatoes and salt to taste. Bring the water to boil and lower the heat to med and cook for 8-10 mins. Adjust this time depending on the size and variety of potatoes. We need not cook the potatoes thoroughly.<br />
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Drain the potatoes and shake them around for 1-2 mins. Add flour, garlic, salt, black pepper, herbs and toss around for another min, until all the potatoes are evenly coated. Heat oil in a pan and drop the potatoes and toss or turn them to coat with oil well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8_h2H0CnqMja5vV-diCYmyJDZTA8rBYeyuxEhTwR9VvYovELJpaiaz5UaZTS2dFiy41gUsabGuOkV_ZVxIhxOwlOqGvNK1aXxEP3UyLOID9gdnpcnNAjt29u8DqQg4XOUhFRvjRmEZZ8/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8_h2H0CnqMja5vV-diCYmyJDZTA8rBYeyuxEhTwR9VvYovELJpaiaz5UaZTS2dFiy41gUsabGuOkV_ZVxIhxOwlOqGvNK1aXxEP3UyLOID9gdnpcnNAjt29u8DqQg4XOUhFRvjRmEZZ8/s200/DSC_0135.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve warm as a side dish to your favourite roast.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-8021707520204687402013-10-02T21:59:00.000+01:002013-10-03T16:06:48.770+01:00Gooseberry pickle(s) Spicy South Indian style and Trinidadian style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the best things about living in Scotland (& I am sure many other parts of the world) is being surrounded by farms and the change in seasons bringing wonderful "seasonal" fruits and veggies fresh from the farm. Best of all, is having a pick your own farm nearby which allows us to go in for a visit and pick fresh farm produce ourselves and pay for them (usually works out cheaper) by weight. Such trips make an excellent day out for the entire family and little children usually enjoy running about and seeing how their favourite fruits and veggies grow. On one such visit recently, we picked some late strawberries and lots of goose berries. I am familiar with Indian goose berries (nellikkai in Tamil) and love them in any form or fashion. The sour variety (aru-nellikkai) in particular is my favourite. Goose berries are rich in Vitamin C and can help fight off infections. The Scottish ones did not look anything like the Indian counterpart. But it tasted quite similar to the aru-nellikkais I knew. In fact, I prefer the Scottish ones since they are more tender and the seeds (yes there are many- unlike the Indian ones) are edible too! So using them to make pickles is a lot easier since I do not have to bother about taking the seeds out. After a days trip enjoying our farm visit, we pickled the gooseberries in both Trinidadian and South-Indian styles. While, Naz & I have both our preferred versions (no points of guessing!), Anjalie liked both of them (seems to depend on her mood) and ever the diplomat she says she likes a little bit of both! We like our pickles spicy so I give the recipe for what I used. But if trying out pickles for the first time, I will suggest to, go a bit easy on the peppers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-NQ0SrnExQplm4CDTcj3n0A-0v9-mBpf8cnZYVRO8S6Gst6rxI8xYDcGHz_-1rvJ4rklxjAIb_Mz11QvdM__g6vjIhQrYxLNmhA_gExUFjG29U1ldBCSsR0icMUiVshgjZY-C8jzGAbG/s1600/DSC_2945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-NQ0SrnExQplm4CDTcj3n0A-0v9-mBpf8cnZYVRO8S6Gst6rxI8xYDcGHz_-1rvJ4rklxjAIb_Mz11QvdM__g6vjIhQrYxLNmhA_gExUFjG29U1ldBCSsR0icMUiVshgjZY-C8jzGAbG/s320/DSC_2945.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Here we are hunting for our treasure at the farm<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZYFHmnSmwSvJ3sOCRJzGtaunA9xkgBSGVsrIct7ORrDF58zl09Z9m6nHiLwgHVlocdfjYeJYSS_qDVXlKj2r2_AWZzCfo5kQhJsiq9gKzXBOaB2pZW-911MXOq4sgqcym4juMoydanEf/s1600/DSC_2901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZYFHmnSmwSvJ3sOCRJzGtaunA9xkgBSGVsrIct7ORrDF58zl09Z9m6nHiLwgHVlocdfjYeJYSS_qDVXlKj2r2_AWZzCfo5kQhJsiq9gKzXBOaB2pZW-911MXOq4sgqcym4juMoydanEf/s320/DSC_2901.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HV-vYa_oaKkP1MpCT_kFqjQzdUqP0xbLqzXVSyu0tXbo-yumzO8ITdAoBfZjNn7uPBvNpP2nmXWPRAISkBe9mfwE93QYxq-UW4ug_EZjYQ8c6Q2QZoOY-T0m7Xr-LGXZRP1Cbqr46G2B/s1600/DSC_2906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HV-vYa_oaKkP1MpCT_kFqjQzdUqP0xbLqzXVSyu0tXbo-yumzO8ITdAoBfZjNn7uPBvNpP2nmXWPRAISkBe9mfwE93QYxq-UW4ug_EZjYQ8c6Q2QZoOY-T0m7Xr-LGXZRP1Cbqr46G2B/s320/DSC_2906.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzomCFTszLZjnW3zfzeTBjW_Ic0XgpW6ax7ZvYVxfUeljaxxX0LnAWHCegT72Cr4fawq5yUeCNkebcK8LwAV-sXY-IbqutsS7qqYQvJKGdDniTjzL9k55W3uTnCKIG99JWa_SIqx-xiJdC/s1600/DSC_2951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-MW-Vr2PArlO91CqwAJZj337c2OaLZ47k5AmK4FHfYP_Y74zYpZqPXFtJA2AcP2uhEeCz02-aE0FO8O-hEtWRHKxtAVl8L10dtbXuZYmamo1ybUFEVfM0hTINsXhWqmiOv90Zv8yQbIG/s1600/DSC_2952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-MW-Vr2PArlO91CqwAJZj337c2OaLZ47k5AmK4FHfYP_Y74zYpZqPXFtJA2AcP2uhEeCz02-aE0FO8O-hEtWRHKxtAVl8L10dtbXuZYmamo1ybUFEVfM0hTINsXhWqmiOv90Zv8yQbIG/s320/DSC_2952.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the South-Indian style:<br />
Brown mustard seeds (for milder taste use yellow) - 1 tsp<br />
Asafoetida - 2 big pinches<br />
methi/fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp<br />
dried red chillies (for milder taste use Kashmiri chillies) - 40 no.s (remove any stalk before using)<br />
Cooking oil (preferably sesame oil) - 1/2 cup<br />
salt to taste<br />
curry leaves - 10 sprigs<br />
goose berries - 3.5 kgs to 4 kgs<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzomCFTszLZjnW3zfzeTBjW_Ic0XgpW6ax7ZvYVxfUeljaxxX0LnAWHCegT72Cr4fawq5yUeCNkebcK8LwAV-sXY-IbqutsS7qqYQvJKGdDniTjzL9k55W3uTnCKIG99JWa_SIqx-xiJdC/s1600/DSC_2951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzomCFTszLZjnW3zfzeTBjW_Ic0XgpW6ax7ZvYVxfUeljaxxX0LnAWHCegT72Cr4fawq5yUeCNkebcK8LwAV-sXY-IbqutsS7qqYQvJKGdDniTjzL9k55W3uTnCKIG99JWa_SIqx-xiJdC/s320/DSC_2951.JPG" width="213" /></a><br />
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Wash and clean goose berries. Dry roast mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds & red chillies and powder coarsely. Heat oil in a large pan, add asafoetida, curry leaves and goose berries. Add salt and cook covered for 5-7 mins stirring occasionally. There is no need to cook the berries thoroughly. We only want it get a bit soft so that it can take in the spices. Add the spices, mix well and cook on med for another 3 mins. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer shelf life (& for those living in the tropics), you can soak the goose berries in salt (&/or vinegar) for a good few days (around a week) and continue with the above process. Such a pickle will last for about a year at room temperature. For the direct method make small amounts at a time and keep it chilled and use within 3-4 days. The main preservative in this pickle are salt and oil. So be generous with them.<br />
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For the Trinidad style:<br />
Goose berries - 1.5 kgs<br />
White vinegar (or cider vinegar)- 4 cups<br />
Habernero/scotch bonnet peppers - 4 (washed, stalk removed & slit on the sides)<br />
garlic cloves- 4 or 5 crushed<br />
salt to taste<br />
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In a clean glass jar, add all the ingredients and mix well. Make sure that the vinegar covers all the berries well. This can be stored for many months even up to a year. Make sure to top up with vinegar & salt now and again.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-77691012213871264772013-09-27T18:56:00.000+01:002013-10-01T21:05:32.811+01:00Vegetable kuzhi paniyaram<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Off late we have been talking about trying something different for breakfast. I mean, other than the usual bread, crumpets, pancakes or idlis and dosas. I remember trying these paniyarams when I travelled with my parents to Karur, in South India, one summer when I was in high school. I remember that it was totally delicious and we all of us in the family ate them for breakfast every single day during that trip. The trouble was, none in our family know how to make it! I called my friend Boon (who is from that area) and got the recipe (& the vessel to make it) from her. If you do not have one of these paniyaram vessels you can just shallow fry them straight in the frying pan. I added some veggies (like grated carrots and sweet peppers) to the recipe, but, the original recipe just requires onions and other Indian seasoning. It turned out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and delicious (exactly as I remember it). Kuzhi in Tamil means a dent/hole. These paniyarams are made in a vessel with many dents (see pic below) and hence called kuzhi paniyaram. They can be sweet or savoury. Below is a recipe for the savoury variety.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEUGiez0GOzuqYe8W-rUcB9jjhfHD6XKAO8uz9WJOYai8zlBqfdbAw93V1-PZ9dfqhKr6Idj2yrpHVzi_GvAKwBaBysNeddd8ftixnWthB-UCYH0BGeYcPxW1nRynm82axatqNdm5y7uu/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEUGiez0GOzuqYe8W-rUcB9jjhfHD6XKAO8uz9WJOYai8zlBqfdbAw93V1-PZ9dfqhKr6Idj2yrpHVzi_GvAKwBaBysNeddd8ftixnWthB-UCYH0BGeYcPxW1nRynm82axatqNdm5y7uu/s320/DSC_0081.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You will need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">3 cups of idli batter</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">1 small onion (or use 1/2 med. onion)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">1/2 carrot grated</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">1/4 cup sweet peppers chopped finely</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br />2 fresh green chillies- chopped fine (optional)<br />1 inch ginger grated or 1/2 tsp ginger paste<br />1/4 tsp mustard seeds<br />1/2 tsp oil for seasoning + extra for greasing the pot<br />salt to taste</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Heat 1/2 tsp oil and add mustard seeds allow to splutter.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Add onion, green chillies and ginger. Saute' until onion is tender. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Add carrots (& sweet peppers if using) and salt to taste and stir fry until carrots are cooked.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB6QGrr6lBHd9ynD_8mTU_SRqhNYuinwPoOBDhROdx-mLhnVHVaHm9xvS-Ee6jSrGu13fzhkzDJby9TYyOrNu0ni5gw5VV2kys6UyrjUMUUUUZAiTV2PpKlPV-LEmvR0uV6J6QFPmNzJd/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB6QGrr6lBHd9ynD_8mTU_SRqhNYuinwPoOBDhROdx-mLhnVHVaHm9xvS-Ee6jSrGu13fzhkzDJby9TYyOrNu0ni5gw5VV2kys6UyrjUMUUUUZAiTV2PpKlPV-LEmvR0uV6J6QFPmNzJd/s200/DSC_0074.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Add this to the idli batter. Mix well. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grease the paniyaram vessel well and heat it up to medium. Lower the heat to med-low.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Add 1 tbsp of batter at time to fill about 3/4 of each kuzhi/dent in the paniyaram pan.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Cover and cook until golden brown. Gently turn them over and cook on the other side until golden brown. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">You may need more or less oil depending on the pan.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Best served warm. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Anjalie likes these better than idlis since it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Although, you can heat them up in the microwave, they will lose their crispiness on the outside. Particularly with a non-stick paniyaram pans, now available, these are quick and healthy snack/breakfast. You can also make sweet paniyarams by mixing jaggery/molasses/palm sugar/brown sugar, grated coconut (or powder) and cardamom powder (& nuts if you want) to the batter and cook them just like mentioned above. We here just prefer the savoury variety.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Tip: If the batter does not raise well (which happens in temperate areas when cold and the batter does not ferment well) add 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the batter. This will help to get soft paniyarams.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444223714144945016.post-49157092892099930742013-09-25T15:53:00.002+01:002013-09-25T15:53:49.867+01:00Buckwheat Spinach Thepla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Theplas are unleavened bread typically made using bajra/pearl millet/kambhu flour from the North western parts of India (particularly Gujarat). It is very healthy and flavourful due to the spices added to make the dough. They have longer shelf life than bread made with atta/wheat flour. So they are excellent for taking with us for travelling or picnics. They also can be enjoyed hot or otherwise and can be frozen for later use. I usually get bajra flour from the Indian/Asian grocery store here. But when I run out of bajra flour (it does happen), between my trips to the Indian stores, I use buckwheat flour (readily available in many supermarkets). The resulting theplas are excellent if not better than the original recipe. The buckwheat flour has a natural sweet-malty taste that makes these theplas more appealing to children as well. As usual, I try to add some veggies, particularly, leafy greens like Methi or spinach to the roti. Thus making sure that the fussy one in the house, aka, hubby gets to enjoy these usually scorned upon veggies. It is easy to make and Anjalie loves to help with the rolling out of the roti. Since buckwheat is gluten free this recipe can be easily adapted for gluten-free diets.<br />
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You will need:<br />
2 cups buckwheat flour + plus extra for dusting<br />
1 cup besan/chickpeas flour<br />
2 tbsp curd<br />
salt to taste<br />
ginger- garlic paste 1/4 tsp<br />
1/2 tsp turmeric powder<br />
black pepper powder to taste<br />
1/2 tsp chilli powder (for adults - optional)<br />
500 gms spinach leaves- washed, coarsely chopped.<br />
water, enough to make a smooth dough.<br />
oil to grease the griddle<br />
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Optional spices (typically used) - ajwain (go easy with this one- it has strong flavour), fresh green chillies, ffreshly chopped methi (fenugreek)/coriander leaves.<br />
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Mix the flours, spices and spinach with little water at a time to make a smooth dough.<br />
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Divide the dough into golf ball size pieces and roll them out into small 1/4 inch thick circles.<br />
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You can use plain flour to dust or stick to buckwheat flour for gluten free option.<br />
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Heat roti griddle or tawa to med-high. Lightly grease with oil. Cook the theplas on both sides until golden brown spots appear.<br />
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Taste check for salt and spices for approval :)<br />
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Serve warm or otherwise with you choice of curry or side dish. It tastes great by itself too due to all the spices used in the dough.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00304331879165335892noreply@blogger.com0