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FRUITS AT WORK…A FRUITY DESSERT & A WIERD MEME!

“There is greater relish for the earliest fruit of the season.”

Marcus Valerius Martialis, Roman poet

Fruits at work…Strawberry, Kiwi, Orange & Basil

The minute winter begins to go away, the mind defrosts & begins to work overtime again. There is so much colour in the fruits & veggies appearing on the shelves, that I find it impossible to sit back & relax!! This is the result of one such instance…one fruity dessert that I tried for the first time last year & we loved it. It’s very simple as there’s no cooking involved; full of fruit, full of flavour, & colourful as ever. Very tropical & summery feel to it…the addition of fresh basil leaves makes it even more interesting.

Colourful all the way…

I find this dessert just right to bid adieu to winter & to welcome spring. The zest is optional; I thought it added a slight but nice bitter taste, & thought I would run it past the kids. Amazingly they loved it, with just a drizzle of cream on it. The daughter, I was sure would love it, & she did. The son was the surprise element…he enjoyed it too, though he did ask for more cream, which he didn’t get! He also commented that the juice was like a mixed fruit juice…hmmmm, that was the liquid due to maceration of the fruit! Maceration means ‘to make soft by soaking or steeping in a liquid’. I chopped the fruit small because of the kids; adults would be fine with it diced a bit bigger too. The seeds from the strawberries & kiwi lent a nice gentle crunch! Refreshing indeed!!

Ingredients:

Strawberries – 300 gms (chopped)

Kiwifruit – 2 (chopped)

Oranges – 4-5 (peeled; chop segments)

Zest of 1 orange

Basil leaves – 10-15

Powdered sugar – 3-4 tbsp

Method:

Dice the fruit to the desired size, reserving some bits/slices for garnishing.
Put them together in a serving bowl, add the sugar, zest & chopped basil leaves, & stir through. Taste & adjust sugar if required.
Leave to macerate in the fridge for at least an hour. Chill well.
That’s just about all you gotta do!
Put into dessert bowls, garnish with slices of kiwi & strawberries, put in a sprig of basil & you’re set!! Serve with a whipped cream if you like (or without for a healthier option).

I’ve been tagged for a wierd meme by Rachel at Tangerine’s Kitchen Hangout, & for a 5 meme by both Ivy at Kopiaste & Amanda at I’m Worthy of Being Loved. I’m ashamed to admit that I’m hopelessly lagging behind. I’ve decided to club the 2 together because these meme’s are giving me very sleepless nights…& wierdly enough, if I don’t sleep, how will I dream up my next concoction!!
And that, in other words, is about me & also my first wierd fact…

If I’ve been thinking of something all day long, which is quite often, I dream up a ‘solution or plan’ while sleeping, & will drive myself mad until I execute it the next morning. Did it with the Star Anise Swiss Roll, the Chocolate Strawberry Cake & many more. I always complete what I set out to achieve, come hell or high water, I’ll do it!
I’m known to have a black tongue. It’s very wierd but I have started zipping my mouth of late, coz I’m not always popular when I spell the prophecy. My family & friends stand testimony to my sooth-saying…it’s uncanny & surprises me at times! No luck with the lottery though!!
I love to bake, but believe it or not, I’m not fond of munching sweet somethings, & am a very uneggy person!! I rarely eat what I bake. I go by reviews of the eaters!! I’m a through & through coffee, bitterchocolate, savoury & fruit ‘n’ nut kinda person!
Me & DH (& now the kids too) can watch the Die Hard series with Bruce Willis a 100 times again & again, & crack our sides laughing. We can also watch the Bourne series any number of times…& the same for Gone With The Wind (Mammy & all).
I am not a TV person at all. TV for me is just to catch the news (even that’s limited thanks to the net) & maybe cricket or soccer matches. I have so much more to do, that sitting makes me feel that I’m missing out on something…
I have a photographic memory; ask me for something that we stowed away 6 years ago, & I’ll just walk in some silly direction & find it.
This is getting wierder…I am cookbook obsessed. I have a pile of baking books by my bedside, & can go through them time & time again, but only after I’m done with the days’ newspapers!
And finally, I’m not superstitious at all, & will only get convinced if something is logical or scientifically proven. Very exasperating for some, but true!!

Enough said about me & my meme. And now to pass the baton onto some unsuspecting souls that I’m tagging for wierd meme’s…this is fun!

Ivy @ Kopiaste (a wierd one in return Ivy)
Miri @ Peppermill
Sia @ Passionate About Life ‘n Spice
Arfi @ HomemadeS
Arundati @ Escapades

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.”

Aristotle

TURKISH ADANA KEBABS…Transcending borders, Finding flavour!

“Do not dismiss the dish saying that it is just, simply food.
The blessed thing is an entire civilization in itself”
Abdulhak Sinasi

Turkish Adana Kebabs…from a cuisine which is unique!

Here’s something new I made yesterday…Adana kebabs. The recipe comes from my younger sister who’s known as the ‘chicken queen’ of our family. We’re constantly digging into her reservoir of recipes because she’s always trying different chicken recipes from cuisines across borders. These days she’s exploring Turkish & North African cuisine, & I sit & wait for ‘reviews & must try recommendations’! Lucky me…these kebabs from her Turkish-Mediterranean Cookbook were on the list of ‘must tries’ & were certainly worth the recommendations. The only hard work is the chopping…so for those of you who are game to chop, take out your Santuko knives & hit the deck!! My life is a lot easier & fun ever since my sis presented me with my 2 fave kitchen tools…the microplaner & Santuko knives.

Turkish cuisine inherited its Ottoman heritage which could be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Adana Kebab is a long, charcoal grilled, minced meat brochette mounted on a wide skewer. It is named after Adana, the fourth largest city of Turkey, in the Mediterranean region.The people of this region have a passion for spicy hot food. By far its best-known dish is the namesake Adana Kebab — a spicy hot, grilled meat specialty. And when the cooking of it begins, guests gather round the mangal (BBQ) grill to engage in pleasant conversation.

Moist & delicious…as hot as you want them!

Adana kebabs are traditionally made out of lamb mince, then skewered & grilled over a BBQ. This is a pan-fried chicken version; can be grilled too. Time for the recipe then…

Ingredients:
Chicken mince – 1 kg
Onions – 2 medium, finely chopped (like for a dip)
Garlic cloves – 6 big ones, finely chopped
Red bell pepper – 1 finely diced

Red chili flakes – 1/2 tsp (adjust or omit according to taste)
Green chili – 1 , deseeded and finely chopped
Fresh coriander leaves – 1 big cup, finely chopped
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 ¼ Tbsp
Paprika – 2 tsp
Sumac powder – 1 ½ tsp (I didn’t have this :0( )
Roasted Cumin powder – 1-2 tsp
Salt
Pepper
Lime juice – from 1 lime
Oil – 1-2 Tbsp

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together working quickly; make sure the mixture is all well blended. Let it marinate for at least about 30mins to 1 hour.
Put a heavy bottom pan on medium high heat & coat the bottom with oil.
Form kebabs with the chicken mixture…approx 4” long, & thin & flat. The mixture will not be firm, but a bit squishy, but just work quickly forming the kebabs & keep putting them into the pan. Make sure they’re sort of flat coz they tend to swell up a bit when they cook..& you don’t want them very thick.
Let them cook for a few minutes, till you see the bottom turning white & getting firm, then shake them around a bit.
After 4-5 minutes flip them over & cook the other side; keep shaking them around to cook on all sides, incl the edges.
When they are a nice medium brown & the juices stop flowing out, they’re done. Don’t overcook or they’ll get tough.

Note: Serve with a nice crisp salad, or a chutney, sliced onions & lime wedges. YUMMY!! Can even cut them into bite-sized pieces & put toothpicks and serve as finger food.
Another idea from her is to use hot dog buns; or even make a few round kebabs like burger patties and they’d be fine in burger buns.…with lettuce, tomato, onions & cheese.
This makes about 25-30 kebabs, & they can be frozen after frying too.

Food across cultures…a fascinating journey!

“Kebab” is a category of food which is typically Turkish dating back to the times when the nomadic Turks learned to grill and roast their meat over their camp fires.

NICE & HEALTHY OATMEAL WALNUT COOKIES…& a nice award too!

“We load up on oat bran in the morning so we’ll live forever. Then we spend the rest of the day living like there’s no tomorrow.”

Lee Iacocca

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE-CHIP WALNUT COOKIES

While I was making these cookies the other day, the son was very intrigued by the ‘new ingredient’ on the counter. Told him it was oatmeal, a wonder grain with the power to give sustained release of energy the day through, healthy & full of fibre etc. He gobbled a couple & then later on, that night, told me that he ran well that day & felt great…‘Must be the oat cookies Mama!’ . These cookies are crisp, delicious & healthy.

Rolled oats are made from the oat groats that are extracted from the oat grain & are often considered to be an excellent choice when it comes to a healthy diet. In general, oatmeal made from rolled oats is understood to help reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. As an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, and thiamine, rolled oats can be a significant part of a healthy diet, requiring only a small amount to reap the benefits. Rolled oats also have the advantage of possessing an antioxidant known as avenanthramides, which is very helpful in ridding the body of toxins that have built up over time.

Healthy & delicious…these cookies are NICE too!

Ingredients:

Butter – 1/2 cup

Brown sugar – 1/2 cup

White sugar – 1/4 cup

Eggs – 1 large

Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp

Flour – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp

Baking powder – 3/4 tsp

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Quick Cooking Oats – 1 1/2 cups (I use Quaker Oats)

Walnuts – 1/2 cup / chopped

Chocolate chips – 1/2 cup

Raisins – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 165 degrees C. Keep 2-3 ungreased cookie sheets ready.
Sift the flour + baking powder + salt 3 times. Keep aside.
Cream butter + both sugars.
Add egg + vanilla essence & beat for a minute.
Stir in the sifted flour mix + oats +walnuts + chocolate chips + raisins.
Drop 12 spoonfuls onto each sheet, leaving room in between for spreading. Flatten with a fork if you like.
Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes until light brown.
Rest for a minute on the baking sheet & then cool completely on racks.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies. Store in an airtight tin in a cool place.

I got a really pleasant surprise early this morning. Hurried by to check my mail before leaving for the son’s soccer league finals & found this lovely award from Doris (Meeso) at The Humble Kitchen.THANK YOU Doris…you really made my day & all the way from Michigan!! It means a LOT to me & I’m completely over the moon. We went on to win the league finals & it must have been your good thoughts that helped too! Doris is a lovely girl & whenever I post a lamb dish, I have ‘Meeso on my mind’ coz she loves lamb dishes, especially Indian curries!!

Thanks also for giving me an opportunity to pass it on to a few bloggers who are wonderful & very NICE! Have to limit my list, though would love to add many many more…

Suganya @ Tasty Pallettes (thanks for being ever so patient & walking me through fixing my header)
Cynthia @ Tastes Like Home who always gives me handy advice & replies to my mails despite being ever so busy.
Arundati @ Escapades who shared her love for Star Anise with me & drove me mad between her 2 blogs. In the end I was convinced I was leaving messages for someone else!!
Susan @ Food Blogga who’s always had nice words to say & has an ‘infectious‘ level of enthusiasm!
Ben @ What’s Cooking who, among other things, loved my biryani recipe even though he couldn’t make sense of it!!!
Manggy @ No Special Effects…one of the nicest bloggers I know. Thanks for being there always Doc!!

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
Roger Federer

And while the Oscars are about to be announced today, it’s raining awards in blogosphere already. Went to Susan’s to deliver her award, & picked up one in return. Woo hoo…thanks a ton Susan. Means the world to me!!

PIZZA FROM SCRATCH…Winning over yeast!!

“The belly rules the mind.”

Spanish Proverb

PIZZA FROM SCRATCH…

My battle with yeast is an old one…it never seemed to give me results that others proudly displayed. I was beginning to bear a personal grudge against it, when I bumped into Ben! Thankfully we concurred that both our strengths lay in baking powder…YES…and he too was in a yeast dilemma!! As with all battles, this one had to be won, one way or the other. Susan’s recipe from Food Blogga came to my rescue…& I can proudly say…this round was mine. I made a pizza from scratch & the daughter declared it was WAY better than Pizza Hut. I thought so too! All credit to Susan for posting such a fab recipe, step by step, & with bits of wisdom thrown in…there was no way I could have lost this one!

A delicious slice…baked like we like it!

Pizza has always been on my list of things to do, & I have tried in the past with somewhat disappointing results. This one was great…the dough rose like never before & thrice!! Once in the frdige as well…believe it or not. My only deviation from Susan’s pizza dough recipe was to substitute 1 cup of flour with whole-wheat flour, & I must confess, I let it sit for a second rising in all my excitement! I made the dough the previous day, rested it in the fridge overnight, & it worked great the next day. Thank you Susan. Hey Ben, there’s hope for us!!

The recipe as adapted from Susan’s blog…

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:

Flour – 4 cups ( original has 5-6 cups)

Wholewheat flour – 1 cup

Instant yeast – 20gms / 2 tbsps

Warm water – 2 cups

Salt – 1 tbsp

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Olive Oil – 2 tbsp

Topping:
Pizza sauce – 1 1/2 cups (of your choice; I made my own)
Olive oil, Mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, sweetcorn, brocolli, red & yellow bell peppers, green peppers, spring onions, oregano etc…whatever catches your fancy or is in the larder!!

Method:

Dissolve 2 cups of warm water + yeast + sugar + salt in a bowl.
Mix the 2 flours together & add the warm water + olive oil to it & knead to a dough.
Transfer to a floured surface & knead well for 5-10 minutes till it forms a soft & silky dough.
Place the dough in a large bowl greased with olive oil, & oil the top of the dough too. I covered the bowl with wrap. Let it rest in a warm/draught free place for at least 2-3 hours.
Punch the dough down to release the air bubbles. (I let it rise for an hour again just to enjoy the action of yeast & then put it in the fridge after this to use the next day. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to use)
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface to roll out. You can let the rolled out dough rest for about 30 minutes; it will rise slightly and create a puffier crust. I got 3 big thin-crust pizza bases from this dough. Leftover dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Brush the top with 1 tsp of olive oil. Top lightly with pizza sauce, grate some cheese over it, add the veggies/chicken/whatever, red chili flakes if you like, followed by some more cheese.
Bake at 225 degrees C on a pizza sheet for 25-30 minutes / till done. Refer to Susan’s blog if you are lucky enough to own a pizza stone.

ENJOY!!!
Note: Do go across to Food Blogga here for hot tips on baking a great pizza!

ORANGE & OLIVE OIL CAKE…Drawing Inspiration!

“Anytime the perfume of orange and lemon groves wafts in the window;

the human body has to feel suffused with a languorous well-being.”

Frances Mayes, Bella Tuscany

‘ORANGE & OLIVE OIL CAKE’

This is the ‘Orange & Olive Oil Cake’ I made, inspired by the Cenk’s recipe. He made his ‘Clementine and Olive Oil Cake’ inspired by the “Olive Oil and Sherry Pound Cake” recipe from Alice Medrich’s book “Pure Dessert”. Inspirations galore resulted in a lovely, moist cake, with a crumb as light as ever…& no butter! There is a very Mediterranean feel to the recipe…& the taste is even better 2 days later. My friend from the land of the babushkas got me some poppy seeds, & I was wondering what use to put them to? This did seem the perfect place to bung them in. The kids love the cake & the addition of poppy seeds has given it a nice crunch. The other alteration to the recipe is substituting a bit of flour with whole-wheat flour. That is one thing I always try to do whenever possible! It’s a feel-good factor thing for me!! It didn’t make the cake crumb any heavier, or the cake rise any less…very satisfying indeed!

Thank you Cenk…

The idea of mixing the zest about with the sugar is novel indeed. It flavours the sugar really nicely, & makes it look pretty too. Flavour…that’s the good thing about Alice Medrich’s book “Pure Dessert”. I have to lay my hands on it soon. Until then, its off to Cenk’s, or then to Meeta’s at WFLH, who, coincidentally, was baking a dessert from the very same book, while blogging a comment on the ‘Coffee Walnut Cookies’ I made!!

“Omit and substitute! That’s how recipes should be written. Please don’t ever get so hung up on published recipes that you forget that you can omit and substitute.” Jeff SmithThe recipe then…

(Inspired by Cenk who was inspired by the “Olive Oil and Sherry Pound Cake” recipe from Alice Medrich’s book “Pure Dessert”)

Ingredients:

Flour – 1 1/2 cup
Wholewheat flour – 1/2 cup
Baking powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 pinch
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Zest of 3 oranges
Eggs – 3
Orange Extract – 1 tsp
Fresh Orange Juice – 1 cup
Poppy seeds – 2 tbsp + some for sprinkling on top

Method :

Sift the flours + baking powder + salt together.
Mix the sugar & zest so as to flavour the sugar.

Working with the magical microplaner (zester)…

Grease & flour a 12 X 4 loaf tin. (I lined the bottom as well).
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Beat the olive oil & sugar well.
Beat in the eggs one by one, followed by the orange extract.
Beat in 1/3 of the flour mix, followed by 1/3 juice…repeat 2 times,finishing with the juice.
Mix in the poppy seeds.
Turn batter into prepared tin & sprinkle some poppy seeds on top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until done, till the tester comes out dry.
Rest in tin on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from tin & cool on rack.

A lovely, moist & light crumb!

Have just found this interesting blog event…coincidence has it that this months’ ‘fresh produce’ is Oranges!! How nice…this is my entry to Marta’s blog ‘An Italian in the US’ which is dedicated this month to this delicious citrus fruit.

COFFEE WALNUT COOKIES…Heavenly beans!!

“Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.”

Stephanie Piro

WALNUT COFFEE COOKIES…

Yesterday was a busy day; I loved it. I made these scrumptious coffee cookies & a ‘Citrus Olive Oil Cake’…both from Cafe Fernando’s. This yummy food blog has the most beautiful collection of recipes & lovely pictures. More about the cake in another post…it was delicious too.

Have been dying to make cookies ever since I saw them there. It’s a recipe Cenk tried from Alice Medrich’s book Pure Dessert…a book which is full of simple and delicious recipes that focus on pure flavor. The amount of butter was the only deterrent, but I thought…What the heck! Once in a while you gotta cross the limit. O boy…the smell of freshly ground coffee put me on another level altogether. These are different from any cookies I’ve ever made….almost like a coffee shortbread. Nutty, crisp, coffee flavoured & buttery. The coffee is not overpowering at all, & the sugar is on the lower side. NICE!! Even the kids loved them; (I gave them just 2 each because coffee aint good for kids)….as Bart Simpson says…”Coffee is not for kids“!

coffee coffee Coffee Coffee COFFEE COFFEE!!!

Here’s my recipe which I adapted from the one posted at Cafe Fernando’s.

Ingredients:

Flour – 2 cups

Walnuts – 1 cup

Sugar – 3/4 cups

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Butter – 3/4 cup / chilled & roughly cut up

Fresh ground coffee beans- 3 tsps

Coffee Essence – 1 tsp

Coffee beans – 40-50 to put on top

Method:

Put the walnuts + flour + sugar + salt in a food processor & pulse until walnuts are finely ground.
Add 2 tsps coffee powder. Pulse briefly.
Add chilled butter & pulse again till breadcrumb like mixture forms.
Add the coffee extract & vanilla essence & pulse just until the dough begins to form lumps around the blade.
Take out & pull together to form a dough; knead briefly to make smooth.
Roll into logs (I made a square & a round log), wrap in clingwrap & chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Keep 2-3 ungreased cookie sheets ready.
Take logs out & slice 1/4″ apart. Push a coffee bean firmly in the centre of each cookie. Roll the edges of a few in the remaining ground coffee if you like.
Bake for about 15 minutes till light brown.
Cool on cookie racks. Store in airtight tins. These stay good for a month!

SQUARE OR ROUND,

PLAIN OR GROUND…

…I LOVE THEM!

“Given enough coffee, I could rule the world.”

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