Gingerbread Mini bundts with a White chocolate ganache drizzle...for the holiday season

Its that time of the year again when the world falls in love,every song you hear seems to say Merry Christmas .....the Christmas waltz playing in my wifi radio ,Christmas cheer everywhere,the aroma of Christmas baking ,a cup of coffee and my laptop...and this is the best moment of this year.

The smell of holiday bread,cookies,cakes ,pies and other goodies is in air.And the blogosphere too overflowing with gingerbread cookies,Yule logs,fruit cakes and cute Santa hats.And baking is so therapeutic and addictive..how can you not contract the baking fever when Christmas is in air.

And how can you not bake gingerbread in Christmas...the old fashioned gingerbread is everyone s holiday favourite.When you bake a gingerbread recipe the smell wafting around the house is wonderful.This time I have made mini gingerbread bundts with a white chocolate ganache drizzle on top.Have been smitten with my mini bundts pan since the time I have got it home.

Gingerbread foods vary from a moist loaf cake to a ginger biscuit ,the ingredients comprise mainly of ginger, spices, honey or molasses.Molasses is used in baked goods to give colour,moistness and flavour.I have used a bundts pan but can be baked in a loaf or square dish too.

This recipe is adapted from Joy of baking.
I am sending these beauties to Helen of Casa Costello for her event Bake of the Week.

You Require (for 9-10 mini bundts)
2 C all purpose Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Cloves
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 C brown Sugar
1/4 C fine white sugar
2 large Eggs at room temperature
1/2 C butter or3/4 C refine oil
1/2 C molasses,unsulphured
1 C milk
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger or1/4 C chopped crystallized ginger

For the Ganache
1C cream
2 C chopped white chocolate

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and grease the dish .
• In a bowl whisk the flour,spices,baking powder, baking soda,lemon zest and chopped ginger.
• With a hand mixer cream the butter and sugar till fluffy,add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition .
• Add the molasses and beat  to combine.
• Now add the dry ingredients and milk alternately beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.beat till incorporated,finally with a spatula mix the batter with cut and fold method,scraping from the bottom and sides.
• Pour the batter in the pan or the dish and bake for 18-20 mins for the mini bundts and for 30-35 mins for the loaf or square dish or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Take out from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
• For the ganache  heat the cream in a saucepan ,don't boil.Add it to the chopped chocolate in a bowl,wait for 30 seconds and whisk to melt and combine.
• After it cools to room temperature,pour in a piping bag and drizzle on the bundt cakes.

A Merry Christmas to you all !!

A minty avocado,watermelon and a feta salad

Whether it's indulging in a third large cup of coffee ,an extra slice of pizza in lunch ,too much beer in Tuesdays Happy Hours or just binging to your hearts content during the festive season,the result is the same.You feel like crap afterwards.The more you eat in excess the more emptier you feel.

After the larger than life Indian festivities which revolve a lot around tempting delicacies and mindless eating it's time to detox now with some recipes screaming health.Its a good time to cleanse your body of the toxins with the Christmas air setting in,much reason to eat,shop and be merry ....again!!

Dietary detox is basically eliminating certain foods, avoiding alcohol and caffeine and loading up on fresh fruits, veggies and juices.Sometimes it results in weight loss and increased energy. Starting your
meals with a salad helps you to attain weight loss and reap many health benefits too.

Salads are a meal in itself or accompaniment to a meal.The word Salad itself sounds so healthy...light,quick and easy to digest.But a salad can turn treacherous if we top it up with creamy,cholesterol laden dressings and fatty high calorie mix ins.


This refreshing Avocado watermelon feta salad not only screams health but is tasty too and the mint leaves impart a fresh minty flavour to it.The dressing is lime juice,seasonings and a drizzle of olive oil which is essential fats and is needed by the body to absorb nutrients from the salad.

This salad is being shared with Lisa of Lisa' s kitchen and Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes for their blog event No Croutons Required this month.

03 Servings
You require

01  large Avocado,peeled and diced
01 long Cucumber,peeled and diced
01 C watermelon,diced
01 medium Tomato,diced
01 small red onion,sliced thin
100 gms Feta cheese,cubed
2 tbsp ,fresh mint leaves,chopped
1/2 C pomegranate kernels
Juice of 01 Lime
Extra virgin Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• In a large bowl ,add all the ingredients except the lime,olive oil and the seasonings.
• Squeeze the lime juice on the top, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper .
• Stir gently and serve.

Homemade Apple Sauce

With an abundance of apples in the house and after innumerable batches of Apple Pies and Apple Crumbles finally decided to freeze the apples in the form of sauce so that it can be used later when apples are not in season.Apple Sauce in my household gets used in the form of cakes or in tarts ,a tasty accompaniment with meat dishes or just like that in a bowl with a dollop of Icecream or fresh cream.Apple sauce can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for 7-8 days and in the freezer for nearly 2 months.Apple cider or Apple juice in the recipe gives a stronger apple flavour to the sauce but it's optional.Once stored the apple sauce has a tendency to settle down with a layer of liquid on top.It just needs a stir before using it.

You Require
6 medium sized Apples ( for 3 cups of Sauce)
3/4C water or Apple cider or Apple juice
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg

Method

• Peel and core all the apples and cut them into dices.
• In a saucepan add the cider or juice or water to the apples and put it on the fire for 15-20 mins on medium heat till the apples are stewed soft and mushy.
• Check the liquid level in the pot and add more if it's dry and sticking to the sides.
• Add the sugar and lemon juice and zest and cinnamon( optional) and remove from heat.
• Purée in a grinder for a smoother texture or mash it with a wooden spoon if you like little chunks of apples in the sauce.
• Cool,store in bottles and refrigerate.

Corn and mushroom on toast and a loss of a dear friend

Has been a miserable week for all of us!

A pall of gloom has set in here in the naval base since the last six days after we lost two of our best fighter pilots in an air crash while performing a spectacular aerobatic display in Hyderabad.One of them was a dear friend of ours,it's difficult for us to believe that he is no more amongst us.

As fighter pilots' wives our brains have been mechanized to come to terms with the fears of the unspoken .We wives live in the everpresent shadow of potential loss.But still the pride and patriotism takes a backseat when an incident like this jolts us out of the blue and an inner fear grips our heart and the Big Question pops up "who next"??

Death is inevitable ,permanent,universal,and cannot be reversed.Just understanding this helps a lot to deal with the loss.But when someone important to us dies,it feels comforting to think magical things like"he is on a secret mission and will be back soon".To be honest I am sad ,angry and frightened.

My dear friend,the deceased's better half is in agony,devastated,struggling to cope with her loved one's loss.She needs our love and support more than ever.God give the ladies enough strength to overcome the pain and grief they are going through during this juncture.That's all I can wish now.The officers were perfect gentlemen,the country's best pilots,great human beings.Their untimely death is a huge loss to the country,to the armed forces, to their family and friends.May their souls rest in peace!

Johnathan Larson quotes

“I can't control my destiny, I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There's only now, there's only here. Give in to love or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today.”

I feel much light now,I had this knot kind of a feeling in my heart.Sharing my thoughts with you all
has given me a little respite from my inner turmoil.Just jotting down your feelings does help a lot.

My recipe today is mushroom and corn on toast.A very easy to prepare filling snack.I prepare this mostly for breakfast or for dinner with a clear soup in tow.The recipe here caters for two.

You will need:

Bread slices -4 toasted to your taste and buttered

Button Mushrooms-7-8 medium sized ones,sliced thinly

Tinned sweet corn -1/2 of a small tin

Spring onion -2 onions with the greens,chopped fine

All purpose flour -1 tbsp

Milk -3/4 cup

Cream - 1 tbsp

Oregano -1/2 tsp

Olive oil -1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Take 1/2 tsp olive oil in a pan.Saute the sliced mushrooms for 2-3 minutes or till golden.Keep it aside.
2. In the same pan fry the whites of the spring onions till transparent in 1/2 a tsp oil.
3. Add the flour and fry till light brown .
4. Add the milk stirring continuously so that no lumps remain in the white sauce.Stir in a low flame till you attain a saucy consistency.
5. Add the sauteed mushrooms,sweet corn,the spring onion greens,cream and the seasonings.
6. Remove from fire before it gives a boil .Spread the sauce on buttered toasts ,sprinkle some oregano and serve.

When I run out of spring onions,I flavour the sauce with a little garlic and onions(the pink ones).

Steamed Chicken with tangy Spinach and Mushroom sauce

I feel like ranting and raving to everybody I meet that I have started blogging AGAIN finally!I feel elated, on top of the world today while I am typing my post.Taking care of 3 kids(hubby taken into consideration) is not an easy task but then taking some time out for yourself is everybody's birthright.Though I am not able to read or watch my favourite programs but then I am sure blogging is surely going to give me immense satisfaction at the end of the day.

Today's recipe is steamed chicken with a thick tangy spinach and mushroom sauce.A very healthy dish.Those who cannot have steamed chicken can shallow fry the marinated chicken breast with a little olive oil.The tomatoes impart a tangy flavour and a rich red colour to the sauce.The recipe provided here serves 2 persons.

You will Need:

For the Sauce:

Chicken Breast- 2 Pcs

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Spinach - 1 and 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Mushrooms(button)-6-7 medium sized,sliced

Tomatoes -2 medium sized

Garlic - 5-6 flakes

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Marinade:

Salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice -1 tbsp

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken breasts with salt ,pepper,oregano and lemon juice for an hour .
2. Steam the pieces in a steamer for 25- 30 minutes.
3. For the sauce heat some olive oil in a pan, saute the sliced mushrooms .Stir fry till golden.Transfer to a plate.
4. Heat the rest of the oil in the pan,add garlic,fry till light brown.
5. Add the chopped onion,fry till they turn translucent.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
7. Now its the turn of chopped green spinach,cook the spinach till a little dry,the water from the spinach imparts a saucy texture.
8. Finally add the sauteed mushrooms with the seasonings.

Check the seasonings and serve the sauce with the steamed chicken or pour generously over it.The recipe is a hit in my household .I normally serve it with garlic bread and some steamed veggies.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Friends ,I have had my first taste of rude anonymous comments,unfortunately it is not about my cooking or recipes but concerns my personal life.This person has so much time that he/she has created a new account under a new name(as anonymous comments are prohibited in my blog) and left an insolent ,abusive comment for me...see how important I am for this person:)I had read about these pranksters in other blogs...so was mentally prepared.I had a good laugh at the enlightening comment and I feel that people who do not have the guts to come out in the open do these cowardly acts and get immense satisfaction,basically psychos who have had a bad day at work or might be one of those guys whom I had ditched in my college days :P



My post today is lentil shepherd's pie...brown lentils with cottage cheese layered with creamy potato mixture and baked to perfection.I served steamed broccoli sauteed with olive oil and carom seeds(ajwain) with it and garlic bread which made it a perfect continental dinner with an indian touch.The recipe is adapted from my favourite Nita Mehta's continental collection.

You need:
To be pressure cooked:
1 cup brown lentils(saboot masoor)
1 tbsp oil
1" pc ginger
3 cups water
salt to taste
For filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
a pinch asofoetida(hing)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large carrot,cut into tiny pcs
1/2 cup boiled peas
100 gm cottagecheese(paneer) crumbled
1/2 tsp soya sauce
For topping:
4 potatoes boiled,peeled,grated and mashed till smooth
2-3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup hot milk
2 tbsp cream
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste Method:
1.Pressure cook the lentils with all the other ingredients under to be pressure cooked to give 1 whistle,simmer on low heat for 12 mins.If there is any water dry on fire.
2.Add all the ingredients under topping to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
3.To prepare the filling,heat oil,add asofoetida and pepper and saute for 3-4 secs.Add the carrots and stir for 1 min.Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 mins till soft.Add peas and salt and mix.
4.Mix salt and soya sauce to the crumbled cottage cheese and mix well.
5.Combine the cottage cheese,lentils and the cooked carrots and peas.
6.Spread this pie filling evenly at the bottom of a greased oven proof dish.



7.Cover the mixture with the potatoes,level the potatoes with a knife.Ripple or score the potato mixture with a fork in a decorative design,by making lines on the topping as shown in the picture.
8.Preheat oven to 200 deg C.Bake for 25-30 mins till the potato topping turns golden.Serve hot.
.

Stuffed Chicken Minced Steak with Mushroom Sauce

When I decided to make this dish I had thought it would be extremely time consuming but the whole meal was ready within an hour... the meal comprised of chicken steak with herbed cheese filling ,doused with mushroom sauce and steamed vegetables with rice.This recipe is adapted from Nita Mehta's Non veg Continental collection.90% of cookery books that I own are of Nita Mehta and till date none of her recipes have gone wrong.I learnt Continental cooking from her books and her recipes are modified to suit Indian conditions....keeping in mind the climate,taste and most important easy availability of ingredients.Her recipes have always evoked admiration and praises in my cocktail and dinner parties and I started enjoying continental cooking with confidence.So here's a delicious and hearty meal for chicken lovers!

You need: For Mince Steaks

300 gm boneless chicken breasts or chicken mince
1/2 onion chopped very finely
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
some fresh bread crumbs(remove sides and grind 1 slice of bread in a mixer)
1tsp worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
For filling:
4-5 tbsp mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh parsley or 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
For Mushroom sauce:
1 tbsp butter
3-4 mushrooms finely chopped
1 and 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups hot water mixed with 1 stock cube( I used mushroom seasoning cube)
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp tomato sauce
pepper to taste
Method:1.Grind the chicken to a mince in a food processor for a few seconds...grind the mince if you have ready made mince .
2. Combine everything under steaks and mix well.
3.Mix all ingredients of the filling.
4. Form 6 balls from the mince mixture,flatten each ball and put a tbsp of herbed cheese and shape into a ball and flatten to form 6 steaks.Refrigerate till the time of serving.









5.To prepare the sauce,fry the mushrooms in butter until golden brown,add the flour and fry on low heat until brown.remove from heat and mix the hot water with the stock cube and add to the mushrooms.Add tomato puree and sauce. Return to fire,boil,cook stirring continuously for 3 mins or till thick.Add pepper to taste.
6.To serve heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the steaks in low heat for 8-10 minutes.Keep turning sides and press the steaks occasionally so that steaks get cooked from inside and also turn brown on both the sides.Transfer the steaks to a serving platter.Pour hot mushroom sauce over them.

Accompany the steaks with steamed veggies and some rice.
I loaded the steamer with veggies and rice while I cooked the steaks and served the veggies with lemon juice ,salt and pepper sprinkled on them.


I loved the sight of herbed cheese oozing out from the steak

Pear and Rum Souffle Omelette for WBB and AFAM

Nowadays my lunch and dinner menus are mostly based on the blog events.I had been warned by people that blogging is addictive and time consuming but no complaints ...I am enjoying every bit of it.Suddenly I discovered that there are so many facts about cooking that I am unaware of and wont forget to mention the excitement of finding a plethora of delectable delights so immaculately presented in the blogs and of course all the new faceless friends with a common passion of cooking with whom I have already started feeling connected:) Nowadays its a bliss to have my morning cup of tea logged onto Taste of India and checking out all the posts after Mishti and hubby leave for their respective destinations.
Today's post is about the entries for the fast approaching WBB -Healthy Breakfast and AFAM Pears .The common dish is Pear and rum souffle omlette where the rum is optional if you are making for children but with the rum its got a typical taste which I love.The dish is basically a well beaten sweet omelette with pears sauteed in rum as topping yummm.....the taste is divine the melt in the mouth kinds.
For Mansi of Fun and Food who is hosting WBB Balanced Breakfast this month I am sending this omelette with toast and a bowl of four cereal(wheat,oats ,barley,wholegrain rye) flakes cooked in milk and sugar and sprinkled with slivered almonds and a glass of fruit juice.I have included whole grains with milk, eggs, fruits in my breakfast , the whole grains being a source of dietary fiber,vitamins and minerals,eggs supplying the protein needed by your body and the pears which are full of strong health benefits.



This omelette also goes to Raaga of The Singing Chef who is hosting AFAM Pears this month.
Pears make good energy boosting snacks, a low calorie alternative and have vitamin C and copper which helps them to act as antioxidants.They are loaded with fiber and cancer preventing phytochemicals making them one of the best fruit choices.

For making Omelette:1 fresh pear of soft variety,peeled ,cored and sliced
2 tbsp rum
3 tsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp water
10 g butter
caster sugar, to finish
Method:
1. Put the sliced pears in a saucepan with 1tbsp of rum and cook over low heat for 2 mins and then stir in 2 tsp of sugar and remove from fire.
2.Seperate the eggs and whisk the yolks with rest of the sugar until creamy.Add the water and remaining rum and beat again.
3.Whisk the egg whites and fold them into the yolk mixture.
4.Pour in the mixture in a heated pan coated with butter and cook over moderate heat until the underside is golden brown.
5.Place the pan under a preheated grill to brown the top of the omelette.Spoon the pear and rum mixture over one half of the omelette and flip the other half with a palette knife.Carefully turn out onto a plate and sprinkle with caster sugar.
You can alternatively use peaches instead of pears or spread the cooked omelette with a jam of your choice and fold and sprinkle with sugar.I normally make the second variation for my daughter omitting the rum part.....saute the fruit for a minute with butter and sprinkle with sugar.
The four cereal flakes are the quick cook variety, 1/2 a cup of flakes has been cooked with 1 cup of water , 1/2 a cup milk and 1 tsp sugar for 3 minutes on medium flame and served with a sprinkling of slivered almonds.



I turned 32 last saturday (22nd) ....well I am a little insecure about growing old,don't want to let go off the present..what I consider the golden years, I dread the isolation, the loneliness, the lack of respect, the psychological torture of uselessness and burdensomeness and most of all health aspects related to ageing .I am already talking like a 50 yr old but I feel once I accept the fact that life not only has a beginning, a middle but also an end would eliminate all my insecurities.
This beautiful birthday cake was Mishti's choice and the whole day my hubby made me shop:) That made my day:)

Eggplant Parmigiana

My last post talked about spring butI can hardly see any traces of spring in the city.This morning when I woke up I was surprised to see a thick shroud of snow everywhere.Where is the sun....its ages since I have seen and felt its warm golden rays and miss the warmth of the room as the rays filter through the french windows and create those dancing shadows on the wall.There are so many amazing and wonderful things that go unnoticed in our lives,it's the small things that we sometime take for granted without giving a second thought to appreciate their presence.

The weather out here has been very unpredictable these past few days and as I was reading Sia's post and came across the term global warming the first thing that came to my mind was a documentary film in National geographic that I was watching a few days back.The documentary was on global warming and its frightening repercussions.With global warming taking its toll the worst hit country would be India they claim,according to them within a span of 200 years all the glaciers in Himalayas would melt and the Ganges would transform into a desert.With so many people relying on the Ganga for their daily requirement of water,the consequence is horrifying.
I have been having this terrible stinging sensation in my throat since last night and my sixth sense says I am going to be down with a bad bout of cough and cold.My only concern is Mishti, my little one who is bound to pick up an infection from me....and with the mom and the child both sick and hubby dear tending to us, it's utter chaos in the house.I am just not looking forward to this:(

My post today is Eggplant Parmigiana,sliced eggplants fried,layered with creamy red and white sauce and baked with a sprinkling of cheese.The recipe is again a Nita Mehta's Italian collection, I specially
prepared it to send an entry for Creative Pooja's Vow Brinjal.

Eggplants is not a great favourite in my house but this delectable version with garlic bread and a greek salad was an immensely enjoyable meal.One more brinjal dish that we relish is "Baigana Bhaja" an oriya dish ,sliced brinjals marinated in turmeric,salt and chilli pwdr and deep fried or shallow fried in mustard oil.....this tastes ultimate with puris.You can check out the recipe Here.

you need:
1 big eggplant of round,oblong variety
2 cubes cheddar cheese(i used a russian cheese )
2 tbsp grated parmesan
oil for frying
tomato sauce:
2 large tomatoes,pureed
3 flakes garlic,crushed
8-10 basil leaves,chopped
1 tsp oregano,dried
1/2 tsp chilli pwdr
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp thick cream
1 tsp olive oil
white sauce:
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion,chopped
2 cups milk
1 tbsp thick cream
salt and pepper to taste
Method:

1. Slice the eggplants and sprinkle some salt and keep aside for 15 mins.Pat dry on akitchen towel and deep fry them in oil to a light brown colour.( I shallow fried them in olive oil)
2. For the tomato sauce,heat oil and fry the onions and garlic till it slightly changes colour.Add the rest of the ingredients except the cream and boil for 10 mins till the juice from the tomatoes evaporates and turns slightly thick.Remove from fire and add cream.
3. To prepare the white sauce melt the butter,add onion and stir till light pink.Sprinkle flour and cook on low heat for 2 mins,stirring throughout.Remove from heat and gradually add milk,mix until well blended.Return to heat and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.Remove from fire,add cream ,salt and pepper and mix well.
4. To assemble,spread 1/3 of the white sauce in a baking dish.
5. Place 1/2 of the eggplant slices on it,spread tomato sauce over the eggplants,sprinkle some parmesan cheese.
6. Repeat another layer of eggplants,top with the remaining white sauce and sprinkle both the cheddar and parmesan cheese.
7.Bake for 10 mins at 200 deg C till the cheese melts.

Turkey pomegranate salad

The memories of Aai's (my maternal grandmother) backyard filled with trees laden with green and red fruits and Aai seperating the fruits' arils from the skin and serving us for breakfast, the red shiny arils resembling small glistening rubies are still fresh in my mind. Her trick of separating the arils from the skin was to dip in a bowl of water while separating them. You guessed right....I am talking about Pomegranate.

Pomegranate juice is a great thirst quencher and has a refreshing and soothing taste. It is widely used as a table fruit, in salads, to marinate meat, as a garnish and toppings, as juice and also used to make high quality wine. This fruit represents fertility and marriage in the middle east countries and considered as auspicious by the Chinese as they believe it wards off evil. Pomegranate is also called the heart's tonic and is held in high esteem for its medicinal properties. More information regarding this delicious fruit can be known from here.

Today I am posting an exotic turkey pomegranate salad and this is my entry for AFAM-Pomegranate hosted by Sra of When my soup came alive and started by Maheshwari of Beyond the Usual.This is my first participation in a food event in the blogosphere. The recipe is adapted from The Thanksgiving book by Jerome agel and Jason shulman and is also available here.

Cannelloni stuffed with cottage cheese and spinach

So we meet again!!

This weekend was quite boring as we were restricted to the confines of our apartment.With the temperatures rising and the snow melting there was slush everywhere and with me paranoid about mud and slush there was no chance that i would step out.So finally we languished in front of the TV in our night suits, played scrabble ,completed my daughter's environmental science project, made a waste paper bin for my daughter's room, did some blog hopping and admiring the creativity and made cannelloni for lunch:)). Phew!!
Back in India it was a tedious task for me to go hunting for Cannelloni in the stores,here its a joy to shop for continental stuff, you name it and its there.
Cannelloni is a big pipe shaped pasta or basically large stuffable tubes( courtesy wikipedia).The basic idea is from Nita Mehta's chicken cannelloni but the stuffing has been incorporated by me.The stuffed pasta is layered with tomato sauce and bechamel sauce(white sauce) and baked with a generous sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.Yuummmmmm!!!!Every mouthful leading to sheer bliss.

You need:
5 ready made cannelloni tubes
1 tbsp oil and1tsp salt to cook the pasta
60 gms cheese (mozzarella) grated

For the stuffing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 small onion chopped
3/4 cup chopped spinach(i used frozen minced spinach)
1 cup crumbled cottage cheese(paneer)
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped finely
1/4 cup corn kernels( i used tinned sweet corn kernels)
1 large tomato pureed or equivalent tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste

For the tomato sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion finely chopped
3 flakes garlic crushed
2 medium tomatoes pureed
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste

For the bechamel sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp grated cheese(i use cheddar)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil ready made cannelloni tubes in boiling water with the salt and oil for 7-8 minutes or till done.Read the packet instructions.
2. To prepare the stuffing, heat oil, add the onion and garlic, fry till onion is soft.Add the bell peppers ,corn and spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes.Add the crumbled cottage cheese, herbs,tomato puree, salt and pepper.Cook till the mixture is dry.
3. To prepare the tomato sauce,heat oil ,add garlic,fry till light brown.Add onion and fry till transparent.Add all the other ingredients and boil till slightly thick pouring consistency(not dry).
4. To prepare the bechamel sauce heat butter, add the flour and cook till it has a light brown tinge.Reduce heat and add milk stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.Add seasonings and cook till the sauce starts coating the back of the spoon.Remove from heat,add cheese and mix well.
5. Stuff cannelloni tubes with the prepared stuffing.
6. To assemble, spread some tomato sauce at the base of the baking dish.Arrange the stuffed cannelloni on it in a single layer.Spread rest of the tomato sauce on it.Then spread the bechamel sauce on it to cover completely.
7. Top it up with grated mozzarella cheese and bake at 180 deg C for 20 mins or till cheese is golden in colour.

Just forget being health conscious for a while and pamper your taste buds!

Chicken stroganoff

Today when I logged into my orkut account in the morning the first scrap that I read was from my school friend Devyani.She wanted me to post a chicken recipe in my blog.I debated what to make for dinner and that too a chicken dish.Dinner at my place is always a light affair,mostly baked or steamed,sometimes just an appetizing soup with a filler like pasta or rice in it and a nutritious salad.I make sure lunch is a proper balanced meal with dal, roti, subzi and curd on the table.Finally I decided on chicken stroganoff minus the butter and cream . The dish is cubed chicken and mushrooms simmered in tomato cream sauce,a little yoghurt is added to the cream to make the dish lighter.I use olive oil to make the dish more lighter and lessen the amount of cream .

So this is for you devyani,this is one of our favourite chicken preparation and a Nita Mehta creation.We had our delicious dinner with steaming hot rice and without forgetting the religious photography of the sizzling pan.Finally the chicken stroganoff is ready to blog about.

You need:
2 boneless chicken breasts ,cubed into 1"pcs
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped
100 gms mushroom-each cut into 2 pcs( if big 4 pcs)
1 cup chicken stock or water
1/2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 flakes garlic chopped and crushed
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp thick yoghurt
1/4 tsp pepper and chilli pwdr salt to taste
1 capsicum chopped into cubes for garnish

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken pcs in salt,pepper and chilli pwdr for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan, add onion and cook till light brown.Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 mins,remove from the pan.
3. In the same pan add 1 tbsp butter and add the chicken pcs,stir fry till well browned on both sides, for about 4-5 mins. Add 1 cup of water and close the lid and simmer for 15 mins.Remove from fire.
4. take out 1/2 cup of chicken stock from the pan.Cool the stock and blend in the flour and mix well.
5. Return pan with chicken to heat.Add tomato puree,tomato sauce,worcestershire sauce,garlic and the fried onion mushroom to the chicken in the pan.Add salt pepper and the blended flour paste.Stir and boil.
6. Whip Cream and yoghurt well so that there are no lumps.
7. Take the pan off the heat,add cream yoghurt mixture and blend well.
8. Add chopped capsicum,heat on low flame and remove when it starts to boil.Serve with steamed rice.

Happy Eating!!