Affogato - A coffee-based dessert/breverage

I do like my sweets. And Affogato is one of the most easiest things one can make with very few ingredients and in a very short time!

it is a coffee-based beverage. It usually takes the form of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some variations also include a shot of Amaretto or other liqueur. Mine is inspired by Jamie Oliver and includes Scottish Short breads and cherries!

Ingredients :

4-5 Crushed Short Breads in chunks

Half a small jug of instant hot coffee with 3 tsp of sugar

Grated dark Chocolate

Good quality Vanilla ice creme

Canned cherries

AFFOGATO: Crumble the shortbread biscuits into the bottom of 4 espresso cups. Drain the cherries and divide them between the cups.

Bash the bar of chocolate up and add a few chunks to each cup. Add two scoops of Vanilla Ice Creme and top it off with the hot instant coffee and serve immediately!

I must say if I do have a bottle of Baileys or Irish Creme lying about, i never miss the chance to add a generous slurp to my glass or mug - it make it that one bit special - very special indeed :-)

Chocolate, cherries and vanilla - Match made in heaven - give it a try you will love it !

Baked Eggs - A must try!

One of my favourite things to do over the weekend is watch the Good Food Channel. On Saturday while watching Ian Garten’s show I saw her making this baked egg recipe and I tried it on Sunday. It is absolutely delicious and so easy. It takes minutes to prepare and leaves you with a warm comforted feeling. Perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Directions

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)

Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Ayush Kejriwal

Ayush’s Vegetable Biryani – A cheat’s version :- )

I know I have been very lazy and not updated my blog for a while so here it is –  a fantastic vegetarian biryani  - easy, delicious and very fattening :- ). My whole house smells like a wee Indian takeaway!

Apparently, the proper Mugal style Biryani takes hours to cook – so this is my take on it – as I have a life and and I would never spend more than 45 minutes in a kitchen – which included my preparation time and cleaning!

Ingredients

1. 275g basmati rice
2. 40g ghee ( clarifies butter – easily available in major supermarkets in the World food section)
3. 1 large onion, finely sliced
4. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
5. Thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, grated
6. ½ tsp ground turmeric
7. 1 tsp mild chilli powder
8. 1 tsp ground coriander
9. 500g mixed vegetables, prepared and cut into small pieces (I used cauliflower, red pepper, green beans and mushrooms)
10. 6 cardamom pods, cracked
11. 6 cloves
12. Small handful fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Rinse and soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a wide, deep flameproof casserole with a tight-fitting lid over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, fresh ginger and ground spices and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and 150ml water, cover and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
3.  Preheat the oven to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2. Drain the rice. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the rice and whole spices and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and gently fold into the onion and vegetable mixture in the casserole – don’t over mix as you want some rice to stay white and some to be streaked with turmeric.
4. Place the casserole back over a high heat, cover and cook for 1 minute to build up steam. Transfer to the oven for 15 minutes, until the rice and vegetables are tender.
5. Divide the biryani between bowls, garnish with fresh coriander and serve with some mango chutney and poppadoms.

Bean Cutlets

Since I slept for almost 13 hours on my flight yesterday I was awake most of the night and decided I best make something nice for my lunch today. So here it is

a healthy and protein rich cutlet made with red kidney beans (rajma) that I use as a filling in sandwich. Try this for a healthier version to the regular all potato / bread cutlets, this one does not compromise on taste and it is quick and simple too.

Ingredients

1 cup red kidney beans soaked for about 8 hours with a pinch of soda (soda is optional)

4 small potatoes

2 cups mixed vegetables ( I used a mixture of beans, carrots and peas)

4 slices of bread (powdered in a spice grinder to a coarse mixture)

1/4 cup semolina

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional) (or according to taste)

1/2 tsp garam masala

salt according to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

Grind together

4 green chillies

handful of cilantro (coriander leaves) cut fine

1 inch piece ginger

Cook potatoes with skin either in the pressure cooker or stove top or microwave until soft and keep aside.

When the potatoes are cool, peel potatoes, mash them and keep aside.

Grind together green chillies, handful of cilantro and ginger until it becomes a fine paste.

In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and add cumin seeds to it. When cumin seeds begin to splutter add the mixed vegetables to it,add salt to taste, chilli powder, garam masala, sprinkle a few drops of water and cook on a low flame until it is soft.

Add mashed potatoes to the cooked vegetables and mix well.

Add cooked red kidney beans to this mixture and mix well. Using the back of your spatula or a potato masher, mash the mixture gently until most of the vegetables, beans and potatoes get mashed.

Add bread crumbs and semolina to this mixture and mix well.

Cool slightly and form lemon sized balls and flatten it slightly.

Heat a flat pan/ griddle/ tawa on medium high, place the flattened cutlets on them and add a few drops of oil around the cutlets. Turnover and fry the other side similarly.

Serve hot with ketchup as a snack or use the cutlets in your burger or sandwich or serve as an appetizer.

Frozen Watermelon Daiquiri

I love watermelons - last week I got a big one from Tesco - but unfortunately it was not as nice and sweet as I wanted it to be. I happen to find a half a bottle of rum in the kitchen cupboard and thought I best use that and the watermelon to make this cocktail - loved it especially as it was mid week - hmm non non mon

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of watermelon, roughly chopped and seeds removed
• 100ml white rum
• juice of half a lime
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• ice (enough to fill your blender) 

1. Daiquiri: Place the watermelon, rum, lime juice, caster sugar and enough rice to fill the blender to the top. Blend the ingredients until smooth.
2. To Serve: Serve the daiquiris in tall glasses garnished with a wedge of watermelon and a sprig of mint.

 

Goan Vindaloo

One of my favourite potato recipe!!

Ingredients

1 kg. diced potatoes

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp. cardamom seeds
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
12 nos. whole cloves
1tbsp. chilli powder
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced
2 tsp. cumin seeds

2 tsp. mustard powder
2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 cup vinegar, or cooking wine

4-6 tblsp vegetable oil
2 onions medium chopped
4 bay leaves
300 ml. water

Method

Gently roast the dry spices from coriander seeds through to cumin seeds for about 5 minutes in a fry-pan on low heat.

Put these roasted spices in a  blender along with  mustard, turmeric, salt, garlic and the vinegar to form vindaloo sauce. Add little water if necessary.

Marinate the potatoes in this vindaloo sauce for in a non-metallic bowl.

Heat oil and saute bay leaves and onions until soft.  Remove and set aside.

Now fry the marinated potatoes for a few minutes, adding more oil if necessary
Add the remaining vindaloo sauce, sauted onion, and water.

Simmer till the potatoes are tender (stirring well) and the curry is thick. Add salt and chilli to suit your taste if necessary. 

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with steamed Basmati rice. 

Chocolate cake, flavoured with Tia Maria coffee liqueur

A bottle of Tia- Maria has been lying about in my cupboard for a while and this weekend I decided to use it - I had come across this recipe while shopping at Waitrose on Saturday and made this delicious Tia-Maria flavoured chocolate cake ! And I have to say it was absolutely delicious - the recipe said serves 10 but I thought it was enough only for 2 ( very greedy - I have eaten more than half in just 1 day - out of 10 slices only 4 is left :-)

A very special chocolate cake, flavoured with Tia Maria coffee liqueur. Serve with tea or coffee or as a dessert. Pure bliss !

Ingredients

The icing:
200g  chocolate
675g icing sugar
25g butter, melted
5tbsp milk

The ganache:
3tbsp Tia Maria
25g caster sugar
250ml double cream
2 medium egg yolks
225g  Plain Continentan Chocolate

The sponge:
175g Plain Continental Chocolate
6tbsp Tia Maria
6 medium eggs, separated and 2 medium egg yolks
175g Olivio spread
175g caster sugar
75g Self Raising Flour, sifted
75g ground almonds

Method

1. Grease and line a 23cm deep, loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the chocolate with the Tia Maria in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
3. Cream the Olivio with the sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg yolks. Cool the melted chocolate slightly and beat into the egg mixture.
4. Fold in the flour and almonds. Whisk the egg whites and fold into the sponge mixture with a metal spoon.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C, gas mark 4, for 40-45 minutes. (To make sure the cake is cooked insert a small knife or metal skewer into the centre of the cake - if it comes out clean it is cooked). Leave the cake to cool before removing from the tin.
6. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate with half of the cream in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar and add to the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining cream, and allow to cool.
7. Cut the cake carefully into 3 even horizontal slices. Brush one side of each slice with 1tbsp Tia Maria and spread with the ganache. Layer together.
8. To make the white icing, mix together all the ingredients, except the chocolate, until smooth and spreadable, adding a little more milk if it is too thick. Spread over the top and sides of the cake, making sure it is completely covered.
9. Coarsely grate the chocolate and place in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. Coat the cake with the grated chocolate.