Funfetti Vanilla Birthday Cake with Butter Cream Frosting

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This homemade white vanilla funfetti cake with butter cream frosting is the easiest DIY birthday cake that you can make. Rustic, easy and homely.

My son turned one this July and I was pretty clear I wanted to bake him his cake. I have been making eggless dessert cakes for him for all his month birthdays that we celebrated (yeah we celebrated every month on the 28th). The pediatrician we consulted that time insisted not to have any form of egg (or non-vegetarian item, for that matter) in his food! [I bit weird, I felt]. So this is the first full-fledged real cake that he had. This was also his smash cake. And it was gone in no time! Continue reading Funfetti Vanilla Birthday Cake with Butter Cream Frosting

Leek and Sausage Quiche

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Want to learn how to make leek and sausage quiche? This savory leek and sausage quiche recipe is easy to follow and super yum.

Good food always elevates my mind. It puts me in a good mood instantly. Yeah it’s not just desserts that do good things to your mood! For me, any indulgent food does that work. Okay certain healthier versions are good too. I have made quiches a zillion times in many variations. I find it so simple to add fillings of your choice to the pie crust and custard and have a new quiche ready in half an hour! This leek and sausage quiche is the latest variation I tried sometime back. It turned out pretty good.

Continue reading Leek and Sausage Quiche

Crispy Baked Basa Fillet

Basa fillets with a crunchy breadcrumb topping gives the very healthy baked version of crispy fish fry.

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Who said crunchy fish has to be deep fried? Who said only way who can enjoy crispy fish is by having fish and chips? What if I tell you we’ll add the much loved crunch in the fish without deep frying – or any frying at all! Does that sound nice? I bet it does.  So here’s my take on the baked basa fillet in the crispy crunchy way. 

A few weeks back some of our relatives were visiting us and I wanted to serve up a nice dinner with fish, meat, desserts and all. I got some really fresh basa fillets from the local super market and was thinking what do I make with it – crumb fried fish or baked fish? Then I thought why not combine both! Continue reading Crispy Baked Basa Fillet

No Bake Mango Cheesecake

Who doesn’t love a cheesecake? And when it doesn’t involve any baking I am more than happy. It’s the mango season in India, so why not a No Bake Mango Cheesecake? It’s perfect for vegans because it’s eggless. Pureed mango, cream cheese gives it a light and smooth melt-in-the-mouth feel. The biscuit base gives this mango cheesecake beautiful crumb texture.

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It was my son’s 11 month birthday on the 28th and I made this No Bake Eggless Mango Cheesecake for the occasion. His paed has asked us to refrain from any non veg till he’s 1 year old! I really don’t know why, though! And I simply don’t like the eggless baked cakes, I find them very dense. So does that mean we won’t have a birthday cake for Mr. Bluey? Absolutely not. I have been making these dessert birthday cakes for him for last few months which are eggless and yum.

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I have made this mango cheesecake a number of times and every time it turns out be a hit in the family. I had made it for my in-laws when they were visiting us a few years back. This cake is a set cake – you can make it in bowls, glasses, or even a casserole tray. This is the first time I made it in a round birthday cake form. Continue reading No Bake Mango Cheesecake

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Are you looking for a simple ice cream cake recipe that’s easy yet yum? Here is an easy, no fuss, no churning Oreo ice cream cake recipe with condensed milk. Pop it in the freezer and it’s ready under 3 hours! Simple, easy and yum.

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We are celebrating all the month birthdays for Armaan, my little man. Which means, I get to make a birthday cake every month! I keep thinking which cake I am going to make for him. For his 10th month birthday I made this Oreo Ice Cream Cake which turned out super yum and was in fact very easy.

I just noticed its 25th today and I had made this last month on 28th. For almost a month it was in the folder and I was lazy enough to not do anything about it. I know, I need to get myself going, but a soon-to-be 11 month old keeps your hands full all the time.

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ULTRA-HEALTHY OATS AND BANANA COOKIES

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I am going bonkers over Oats these days. Made these Ultra Healthy Oats and Banana cookies the other day and they turned out super yum.

 
 They are gluten free, butter free, sugar free – super duper healthy, I say!
 
All the sweetness comes from bananas topped with goodness of walnuts and raisins. And this is really what I call clean eating – no chocolate chip in my cookie and yet they are yumtastic!
 
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I used to hate oats at one time – yeah really hate oats – I felt it tastes like vomit. That was when I was sticking to only making porridge! But when I started experimenting with oats I got to know how good and tasty it can be. And how many wonderful things you can make out to oats!

Here’s how I made these Ultra-Healthy Oats and Banana cookies!

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 21 Letter U. Visit A to ZBlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!
ULTRA-HEALTHY OATS AND BANANA COOKIES
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: International
Author: Tina Basu
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 9 cookies
Gluten free, butter free, sugar free – the ultra healthy oats cookies for you
Ingredients
  • Banana – 2 medium sized ripe bananas
  • Rolled Oats – 1 cup
  • Milk – 1/8 cup
  • Walnut – few chopped
  • Raisin – ¼ cup chopped
  • Cooking spray /little oil for greasing
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat Oven to 350F/ 220C
  2. Mash the bananas in a bowl
  3. Add oats, milk and chopped dried fruits and mix with a spoon
  4. Line the baking tray with a greased baking paper
  5. Spoon out the dough in equal parts on the baking sheet
  6. Flatten the dough with the back of the spoon or fingers – these cookies are not going to rise up.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till cookies are done!
Notes
You can add any kind of dried fruits – nuts, pecans even dates

Continue reading ULTRA-HEALTHY OATS AND BANANA COOKIES

Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salad

This is health month for me and I am doing all healthy stuff, at least cooking and eating healthy! I did a smoothie and a breakfast recipe earlier so I’ll share a great salad recipe today.
 
Salads are great, aren’t they? They fill you up, low on calorie, you can have as much as you want! And hey, all salads are not boring. You can enjoy it as a side or a main. I sometimes like some good salad as munching snack in the evening.
Today we are making wonders with three very simple ingredients – Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado! It’s summers and these ingredients are perfect for the season! Crunchy Cucumber, Fresh Tomato and Buttery Avocado! Very easy and totally yum! Let’s get to know our Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salada little better!



HEALTH BENEFIT
 
Cucumber, however boring it may sound, is a gift
 
It keeps you hydratedand flushes out your toxins.
 
It almost doesn’t have any calories and provides loads of vitaminsand skin friendly minerals like magnesium, potassium.
 
Avocados on the other hand are a power house of dietary fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C
 
It also provides Alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and oleic acid 

Tomatoes, I can’t tell you how good they are specially for your skin!
 
We won’t use any mayo or fatty dressing for the salad!


 
CUCUMBER TOMATO & AVOCADO SALAD Print Friendly and PDF

Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
 15 min
0 min
15 min
Recipe Type: Salad main/side
Serves: 2 persons as a side or 1 person as a main
INGREDIENTS
  • Avocado – 1 pitted and diced
  • Cucumber -1 diced
  • Tomato – 1 diced (you can use cherry tomato in halves)
  • Red Onion – ½ finely chopped
  • Lime juice – juice of ½ a lime
  • Cilantro or Coriander Leaves – 1 teaspoon finely chopped
  • Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon for dressing
  • Red Wine Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
  • Tabasco / capsico sauce – 1 teaspoon
  • Salt & Pepper – to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
  • Combine Avocado, cucumber, tomato, onion in a bowl.
  • Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, tabasco sauce, red wine vinegar and seasoning in another bowl and drizzle over the avocado salad
  • Sprinkle chopped coriander or cilantro leaves and serve fresh
  
TIPS
You can totally skip the tabasco part, if you don’t like the heat in salads
If you want to have it as a main, add some diced tofu and up the protein quotient of the salad.
 
Enjoy a good healthy snack.
 
 
Until next time, Cheers!

Today’s Question – Did I improve on my food photography skills? How is it? All photos shot on iPhone 5S.

Also check out how the camera shy girl in my Writing Blog

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 3 Letter C. Visit A to ZBlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!
 

A to Z Challenge Day #17 – Q for Quiche

Hello people so we arrive on our Q day. Deciding an indulgent recipe with Q is a challenge in itself but here I am sharing a super easy recipe of one of my favourites – Quiche. Quiche (in case you don’t know) is a savoury pie sort of a thing with a meat or vegetable filling topped with a layer of custard. You can Google for more information.  

It is essentially a French Cuisine special. I love it because of its no nonsense taste and the fact that I can put fillings according to my taste!

The classic combinations are bacon and spinach or vegetable quiche or a simple chicken quiche. The one that I am sharing today has all that I like – onions, bacons, pork and chicken sausage as the filling.

Interesting? Okay now let’s hop into the recipe.
 
All that you need
 
For the Pastry crust
All purpose Flour – 21/2  cups
Unsalted butter – 1 cup (chilled and diced)
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Chilled Water – 7-8 teaspoon
 
For the filling
Onion – 1 chopped
Bacon – 4-5 strands
Pork sausage – 3
Chicken sausage – 2
Salt & pepper to taste
Smoked Paprika – 1 teaspoon
Shredded Parmesan Cheese – 3 tablespoons
 
For the Custard
Egg – 2 whole + 2 egg yolks only
Milk – 1 cup
Cream – ¼ cup
Salt & pepper – to taste
 
Let’s Get Started
 
Making the pastry crust [It is very similar to the pastry crust that I made for Apple Pie.]
 
Combine flour, salt and butter in a mixing bowl and make a coarse crumb with

your fingers

Add cold water and combine them together
You don’t need to knead
Take the dough wrap in a cling film and freeze for 15 -20 minutes
Take out from freezer and roll it into a round pastry crust.
Transfer in a pie/flan dish and blind bake.
 
 
 
Making the filling
In a pan fry bacon till brown
Take out some of the fat and in the same pan fry onion and the sausages till they are done. Add seasoning and smoked paprika.
 
Take out the sausages and chop them, chop the bacon.
 
Making the custard
In a mixing bowl mix milk, cream and the eggs. First the whole eggs and then the yolks.
Make sure the milk is in room temperature or else you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
Add seasoning
 
 
Combining the Quiche
Spread the filling on the blind baked pastry crust
Pour in the custard mixture
Spread the shredded cheese on top
Now bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
 
 
 
And your yummy quiche is ready. Enjoy with your favourite wine. 
 
And so let me know if you found it HOT or NOT?
 
 
 
 

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #17 – post starting with Q. 
Visit A to Z and read awesome posts by bloggers. 
I am also participating in this challenge from my writing blog and I’m writing fiction this time. Visit The Sunny Side of Life and show some love.
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Leave a comment below if you have liked the recipe and you want me to share some more recipes.

Crispy Fish Fry


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Fish and Bengalis are inseparable. A crispy fish fry always makes our day even if we are nearing an apocalypse! Hot, crispy and melt in the mouth feel is all that makes you happy.
In the last few months I can say I have become a better cook – one always gets better with time, practice & experience and so do I. Nevertheless, I think I just should get started. BTW apologies for bad photography – I hope to get better with time on that.

Continue reading Crispy Fish Fry