sticky lemon bars

My mother grows these amazing 'Limes ' in her farm that i cant get enough of. They are huge with dense flesh and are lusciously juicy and smells divine. Every time i get my share it becomes a big lemony feast at home. One becoz i don't get them very often, and two the batches come in plenty that i don't want to waste them.

So i have few tried and tested standard recipes like Lime Cordial, Cheesecake, Lemon Cake, Lemon pie and several other marinades. Oh how can i forget Lemon Pickle! Yes !. But this time i added something new to my list which is the 'Sticky Lemon Bars'!.
I am totally bowled over and in love with them.

It cant get simpler than his. Even a beginner can fix this without any hitch!.

It has got a soft crust base which is basically short bread , with a topping of silk smooth tangy lemon filling. mmm divine!

For the Crust
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 tbsp lemon zest

For the Topping
1 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained


Preheat oven to 180 deg. Butter the inside of a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.


To make the crust: In a medium-sized bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon Zest and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough (it will be quite liquid) evenly in the bottom of the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned.


While the crust is baking, make the topping: Stir together sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.


When the crust is baked (and still hot), pour in filling, turn oven down to 300, and bake for 20-20 minutes or until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. Dust it with powdered sugar.



Makes great teatime snack



Verdict : My Second twin who cant take any sourness in his food finished two bars!!

Mini Pavlovas with whipped cream and strawberries

Happy New year to all of u...

There are many dishes that i fancy and admire but never dared to make it ... I would have tried it , loved it but never made it myself. Like 'Tiramisu', Eggs Benedict, Hollandise sauce, Goulash are few such things that i can remember. But there is one special dream dish that i didn't even dare to eat it ... though i have seen it all the time. One it is too beautiful to look at that i didn't feel like cracking it and crumbling it and destroying it. To me this dish continued to be something to be admired.

Recently i was helping a friend who was looking for some dessert recipes. So together we shortlisted few and finally she spelt it and said "Hey lets make 'Pavlova'. I almost said "but that is not to be eaten" ...

Eventually when i cleared my head and made it, i couldn't believe how easy it was. This certainly is an express dish. Well at least the preparation time is less than 10 mins.


Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert which is named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is believed to have been created to honour the dancer after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920's. The dessert is popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and is frequently served during celebratory meals.


The first Pavlova that i tasted was what i made... Yippee!.

Well the verdict is it was crispy, crumbly, chewy and light like how a pavlova should be. The downside of my Pavlova was it didn't turn out milk white like the sorts that i have seen. Nevertheless it was tasty.

The toppings are generally mixture of berries or tropical fruits steeped in alcohol. I used strawberries and opted to soak it in Pomegranate juice and sugar.

This dessert along with whipped cream and berries just melts at first and gets interestingly chewy at the end.

Another thing that i liked about this dessert is u can make the meringues and store it for up to 3 to 5 days in airtight containers. It is an ideal party dessert !

When preparing pavlova or any meringue the most important thing to remember is to have scrupulously clean utensils free of grease or any wetness. Also it is important that the eggs are at room temperature.

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup Castor sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp of corn starch
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
fresh strawberries
sugar to taste
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 140 deg and place the rack in middle of the oven.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment and draw a 7 inch circle and set aside.
3. In a dry and clean bowl put the egg whites and beat it with electric mixer on medium speed.Beat until the whites form soft peaks.
4. Now gently sprinkle the sugar, one tsp at a time while continuing to beat the egg. Keep going till you finish with the sugar.Your egg whites will now be glossy with stiff peaks like this...



5. Now sprinkle cornstarch, vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently. Add the vanilla and fold the mixture again with soft hands.
6. Now spread the meringues in the circle on the parchment to make the base. Gently spread and push the meringue to make the edges little higher and try to form little nests with slight well in the middle.




7. Bake the meringue at 140deg for 1/2 hr and reduce the oven to 120deg and bake on slow oven for another half hour. (Mine started turning pink too fast .. so i covered it with aluminium foil and continued to bake it for the next half hr).

8. Turn off the oven and leave the door open slightly and let the meringue cool completely.

9.Now take the meringue out of the oven and remove it gently from the parchment and place it on the plate.



Pavlovas tend to crack i understand but that is o.k... they still look beautiful



Prepare the topping:

10. Whip the cream with sugar until it forms soft peaks.

11. Cut and slice the strawberries and soak them in 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice and little sugar for one hour.


12. Spread the cream on top of the meringue and arrange the fruit on top. And enjoy!.

Delightful looking pavlovas ..

Black rice and Lychee dessert...

Okay now i am not sure how many of you are familiar with 'Black rice'. In case if you have not i thought i shall just add few information about it.


Black rice is one of several black-colored heirloom plants producing rice variants such as Indonesian Black Rice, forbidden rice, or wild rice. High in nutritional value, forbidden rice is rich in iron. Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough. This grain is high in fiber and has a deep, nutty taste. Black forbidden rice is a deep black color and turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content [1] [2]. It has a relatively high mineral content (including iron) and, like most rice, supplies several important amino acids. - Courtesy WiKipedia

Here it is called as 'Kavini Arisi'. Actually i don't know what it means but it is used quiet popularly in the Chettiar households of South India. It should be easily available in the Asian stores.

Some of the dishes that can be made using kavini arisi/ Black rice is Sweetened version like a pudding, or Halwa which is a fudge like dessert or Kheer which is a syrupy dessert.

What is traditionally made at home is a 'Kavini Arisi Payasam'/ Kheer. The rice is broken and ground to a paste which is again cooked and sweetened and flavoured with cardamom.


But i have an interesting recipe which is a fusion of Thai and Indian.

Basically the rice is cooked and diluted with thick coconut milk. I add Rose syrup or Rosewater and bits of Lychees to it. I simply love the nutty taste of this rice which is further enhanced with sweet smelling rose syrup and juicy lychees. It tastes divine the second day.


I urge you to give it a try because it is unusual and will surely be enjoyed.





I used

1 cup black rice
2packets coconut milk - 400ml
Rose water - 2 to 3 tbsp
1/2 cup milk
sugar to taste
Tinned Lychees

Soak the rice overnight...

Boil 3 cups of water and pressure cook the rice till it turns nice and mushy..
You can use a masher to mash it up a little bit.

Now let the rice to cool for some time.

Add sugar , boiled milk and one packet of coconut milk and rose water and leave in the refrigerator to chill. When it has chilled completely add the second packet of coconut milk and give it a stir.

Chop the lychees into bits and mix it up.

Serve chilled.

Corn and Broccoli in Bechamel sauce...

'Bake' is what this dish is very fondly called at home. Baking is not a common method of cooking especially in south Indian cuisine. I cant think of any dish which calls for baking at all. OTG was a much feared and occasionally used by which I mean 'used for occasions' sort of gadget at home. I know i sound quiet primeval.

My cakes and bakes are popular now ... but i alone know how many have gone down the drain to have finally made it to the table.

Anyway coming back to the 'Bake'... It is basically vegetables in bechamel sauce , topped with loads of cheese and baked. Normally 'cauliflower bake' is what is popular at home. But personally i like corn and spinach or corn and broccoli .

I do it very often as it is a big hit with my boys . Frankly i dont remember anybody disliking this dish . It can be made a day ahead and baked just before serving and also it sits pretty on any party table.

Some people like to flavour their bechamel sauce with garlic and bay leaves but mine is just plain milk and roux combined, and heated to get this creamy white smooth sauce. Only thing one needs to watch out for is to not let it form lumps .

This tastes best with garlic bread.




What you will need is a nice fresh head of broccoli.. and a tin of sweet corn. I used Green giant Sweet corn kernels.

Cut the broccoli into tiny florets and you can either steam them or blanch them.

Now to make the Bechamel sauce you will need :

3 heaped tbsp of butter
2 heaped tbsp of plain flour
salt to taste
500ml of milk

Heat a pan and melt the butter. Now add the plain flour and fry it till the raw smell changes and it becomes light brown.

Take the pan off the flame and keep it on a surface and add the milk (I use slightly warm milk).. while simultaneoulsy whisking it briskly . Return the pan to the flame and heat it and allow the sauce to thicken. Add salt to taste.

Now combine the corn and broccoli in the white sauce.




And pour it in an attractive oven proof dish..



Now top it with a liberal helping of cheese ... i like to use a combination of cheddar and mozzarella if i am going to serve immediately. Else i just use plain cheddar. Also dot it with tiny blobs of butter .



Now bake it in an 180 degree oven for about 20 to 25 mins till it begins to bubble and browns on top.



Garnish with tomato slices and basil . Serve with warm garlic bread.

Minty coconut drink...

Having grown up in the land of coconuts i must admit i do have a soft spot for them and use it quiet liberally and lovingly in my cooking. Its delicate flavour, and the creamy texture gives an instant lift to any dish. Very often it helps to remedy goof ups , in my case i should say almost everytime. I am quiet poor in my judgements with salt u see! So cooking without coconuts would certainly make me go nuts!


What i am going to share with you is a supremely simple tender coconut drink with zingy lemon and mint flavouring. My favourite part in this recipe is that i get to use the meat too.

I took ..

Tender coconut water - 1 large glass

juice of half a lemon

sugar according to taste

crushed ice as much as you want

meat of one coconut

very finely cut mint leaves...






Now pour the coconut water, lemon juice , meat of the coconut and sugar in a blender and blintz it just twice...

Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour it over and top it with freshly chopped mint and enjoy!!!

Chocolate Cup Cakes...

NOV is a month of birthdays ! at least in my calendar. So my dear friend 'C'who hates to celebrate birthdays had no choice but to take us in when a bunch of us stood at her door with goodies and tiny birthday slogans !. She is plain embarrassed she says!. But would that stop us from baking cakes and cards and gifts ! No never!.

'L'my other friend baked a beautiful orange flavoured cake with dotty dates chips in them. It was so light and full of flavour!. Now i am going to pester her for the recepie! Honestly it was so good!..

I made chocolate cup cakes!!.

I adapted this from Hershey's recipe and absolutely loved it. I liked it for two reasons . One it did not have even an ounce of butter in it and secondly it called for basic ings.. nothing exotic.

It turned out super moist and super soft. I think it is a must have recipe for all cup cakes fans like me. I adore cup cakes!!.




Choco Cup Cakes

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups cocoa
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Method

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder,b.soda and salt in a large bowl.

Add eggs, milk , oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of of hand mixer for 2 mins.

Stir in boiling water and continue to mix. ( Batter will be thin)

Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups

Fill 2/3 cups and bake for 20 to 22 mins

Cool completely.

They taste good with out icing or frosting. But those of you who don't mind can dip them in Ganache and enjoy them with a blob of ice cream...


For the Ganache

1/4 cup cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Heat cream till steaming

Remove from heat and add chocolate and let it stand for 5 mins

Add the butter and stir till smooth.


Enjoy!

Pasta with Meditteranean vegetables

After crazy few weeks life seems to be returning to some normalcy. Highlight of this month was last week I celebrated my 13 yrs of bliss with my dear 'P' who took me out for a lovely dinner. Normally the tradition is a quiet dinner at some place far and serene. This time we decided to take the boys along. So i had to explain what the occasion was to them only to have them disappointed that they were not invited for the wedding.

It was a huge spread on the buffet which had Thai, bit of Italian , German and even Burmese food. What i liked about this buffet was that the menu had lot of new things that one would usually not expect. Like barbecued ham with prune sauce, steamed whole fish with lime and ginger sauce, khaosuey, barbecued chicken with schnitzel, baked gulab jamun and many more ..... boy! it was quiet a spread. I didn't know when to stop... shame on me!.

The second best thing that happened to me this week was the stock of fresh organic vegetables that this friend sent me over from his farm. All my favourites.. Zucchini, red and yellow peppers, and mushrooms... I was all set to make Ratatouille then i decided to do a pasta instead.

It is super simple with squishy and juicy vegetables sauteed in lots of garlic and tomato sauce.
It surely is a quick fixer and very very satiating particularly on a hungry day.

Zucchini - 1/2 chopped
Red pepper - 1/2 seeded and cubed
Yellow pepper - 1/2 seeded and cubed
Mushrooms - 10 sliced
Tomato - 3 medium - boiled, peeled and pureed
Passata - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - generously
Garlic - 4 finely chopped
Dried Thyme - 1 tbsp
Whole wheat pasta - 2 cups cooked



Heat oil and add the garlic and saute till light brown.



Add the vegetables and cook for few mins.



Add the pureed tomato and passata and cook till the vegetables become squishy and soft. I like my vegetables half done...



Now add thyme and saute for few more min..

Toss in the Cooked whole wheat pasta an let the sauce coat the pasta. Serve with Parmesan shavings.