A to Z Challenge Day #26 – Z for Zucchini Frittata

OMG I don’t believe it I am posting my 26th post for the A to Z challenge and I am definitely a survivor! Atleast I am happy that I did post 26 x 2 = 52 posts in this one month from both of my blogs, now am I happy. Happy?? I am the happiest that I didn’t miss a single day. Woot woot.

Cool so what do we have for Z… one really easy stuff… its Zucchini Frittata… or just simply eggs with zucchini. I will rush off to the recipe because I have to post a fiction and then I have to set up my new iphone. I still can’t sync my contacts from android to iphone 5s. Please advise if you know.

Anyways let’s get into our recipe. I am using both yellow and green zucchini to get the wonderful colors


All that you need

  1. Yellow Zucchini – ½, sliced
  2. Green Zucchini – ½, sliced
  3. Eggs – 4
  4. Milk – ¼ cup
  5. Mushroom – 5-6sliced
  6. Onion – ½ sliced
  7. Garlic – 3 cloves crushed
  8. Seasoning – salt & pepper to taste
  9. Parmesan – handful of grated parmesan
  10. Olive oil – 1 tablespoon

Let’s get started

In a skillet heat oil and add the sliced zucchini.

After 2-3 minutes add crushed garlic and onion slices. [we are doing this latter because we want the zucchini to get a nice golden color]



Add mushrooms and fry.

Add seasoning

In a mixing bowl beat eggs with milk and cheese and add little seasoning

Pour the custard over the fried zucchinis.



Let it cook over low heat

Put a cover on so that the top cooks equally.

You can also put it in an oven to cook the top evenly

It will be done in 5 minutes.

Super duper easy soft and fluffy frittata is done!



Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #26 – post starting with Z. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #25 – Y for Yogurt Cookies

HI guys it’s Yogurt cookies today for Y today. It’s really simple to do and is yumm. I added little cinnamon as well to get the cinnamon kick. This isn’t a traditional fluffy yogurt cookie recipe, its my way of making thin crispy cookies.



Ingredients
  1. Flour – 1 ½ cups
  2. Baking powder – ½ teaspoon
  3. Baking soda – ¼ teaspoon
  4. Unsalted butter – 1 cup, softened
  5. Sugar – 2/3 cup
  6. Egg – 1
  7. Yogurt – ½ cup
  8. Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon
  9. Ground cinnamon and sugar – 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

Let’s get started

Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl.

In a mixing bowl creamer butter and sugar.

Add the egg, yogurt, and vanilla. Once combined, slowly pour in flour mixture.

Arrange on a baking tray over a baking paper with tablespoon.

Sprinkle ground cinnamon and sugar on top

Bake at 180 degrees C for 12-14 minutes.

And you are good to enjoy.



Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #25 – post starting with Y. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #24 – X for Xmas Cake

Yo we are at X and two more days on the challenge…after that a week’s rest for me. So what do we have for X? What do you first get in your mind when you hear the letter X? I of course get X- Mas so I have a X-Mas cake recipe. It is one my favorite cakes and is a super recipe. I really love old fashioned fruit cakes where you indulge in cake mixing for days. That’s the idea to bring the festivity and magic of the time in your foods. I made this cake last year for Christmas but had not posted on blog so far. May be I was just waiting for this time. [Thank god I didn’t otherwise I don’t what I would do today!]

Anyways it’s a little elaborate process so read closely.



Ingredients

For dry fruit mixing

  1. Dried apricot – 6-7
  2. Sultanas – ¼ cup
  3. Raisins – ¼ cup
  4. Candied cherries – ¼ cup
  5. Almond – ¼ cup (halved/sliced)
  6. Cashew – ¼ cup
  7. Whiskey – ¼ cup
  8. Rum – ½ cup

Cake
  1. All purpose flour – 2 ½ cup
  2. Milk – 200 ml
  3. Vanilla pod – 2
  4. Butter – 100 g
  5. Sugar – 1 cup
  6.  Egg – 4 whole
  7. Baking powder – ½ teaspoon
  8. Salt – a pinch
  9. Cocoa powder – 2 tablespoon
  10. Zest of 1 Lemon & 1 Orange

Let’s get started

For the fruit mixing

Soak all the dry fruits in rum and whiskey in a bowl and leave it in the fridge for 2 days

After two days you can see all the liquor is soaked within the dry fruits. (you can enjoy some just like that – we had some before we actually baked the cake J )



For the cake

Heat milk in a pan, scrape the pulp of the vanilla pods and infuse in the milk for 15-20 mins. Remove from heat and let it cool

Chop the infused dry fruits in small bits and pieces



In a mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt and mix

In a separate mixing bowl cream butter and sugar and add eggs



Take off the vanilla beans from the milk and pour the milk over the eggs.

Make sure milk is cool or else you will scramble the eggs

Add the lime & orange zest


Incorporate flour mix at a time

Add the infused and chopped dry fruits in the cake batter.



Line a cake tray with greased baking paper



Pour the batter in the mould and leave it for 5 minutes

Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes.

This should be cooked slowly in low heat.

Take out and let it cool.



You can now do a lot of things – you can have fondants on top, a marzipan cover on top or simply dust some icing sugar before serving and enjoying a wonderful Christmas lunch.


Wow I feel hungry already J

I hope you guys like it and will do it next Christmas or can do it anytime actually J

Till the next time good night


Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #24 – post starting with X. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #23 – W for Whacky prawn with mango

I am seriously late tonight in posting. Its 10:56 pm IST and I just sat down with my laptop. I not only have to edit the photos and write this post I also have to write a fiction with wretched for my writing blog!! Some one save me… Seriously if this was not about the challenge I would have happily dozed off.. Well I could very well write about my mood now for wretched.. it’s is quite some now.  

Okay I have a simple salad recipe today – but hey its indulgent too. I have included all the things that I like – prawns, bell pepper, balsamic, garlic and it’s yummm… I just did this an hour ago and everyone loved it at home. Things like theme make me happy. Ting! Here’s my Whacky Prawn with Mango.

Ok now the recipe.



All that you need
  1. Onion – 1 chopped
  2. Bell pepper (green & red) – ½ each chopped
  3. Tomato – ½ chopped
  4. White prawn – 200 g (peeled, deveined and cleaned)
  5. Raw mango – 1 small – chopped
  6. Green chili – 1 chopped
  7. Salt & pepper – to taste
  8. Garlic- 7-8 cloves – crushed
  9. Balsamic Viniger – 1 tablespoon
  10. Chili flakes – ½ teaspoon
  11. Lemon juice – 2 tablespoon
  12. Parsley – 1 tablespoon chopped
  13. Olive oil – 1 tablespoon

Let’s get started

In a bowl marinate the cleaned and deveined prawns with lemon juice and salt for 5- 10 mins

In a skillet heat oil and add crushed garlics.

Fry till garlic turns golden brown.

Add the prawns and fry till they curl up and turn orange.

In a salad bowl combine all vegetables and pour the fried prawn on top along with the oil.
[The oil is infused with garlic so do not throw it off]

Add seasoning and a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar and chili flakes.

Toss them well and serve.

The easy peasy Whacky Prawn with mango is here for you to enjoy.



Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #23 – post starting with W. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #22 – V for Vanilla Panna Cotta

Hello guys so we are at the fag end of the challenge and today is the V day. I have a super awesome recipe today with V. It’s one of my favorite dessert recipes. It’s Vanilla Panna Cotta and I am adding a blueberry to it. We just had it and it was yummyyyy…. This is super indulgent with full cream and yogurt and no milk.



So here it is

All that you need

  1. Cream – whole cream 2 cups
  2. Yogurt – 2 tablespoon
  3. Sugar – 2 tablespoon
  4. Gelatin – 2 tablespoon (if you are using powder or 3 sheets)
  5. Warm water – to dissolve gelatin
  6. Blueberry Preserve – 3-4 tablespoon
  7. Vanilla Paste – 1 tablespoon

Let’s get started

Soak gelatin in warm water and let it bloom

Heat cream over low heat and add sugar.

Cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes stirring at times.

Mix yogurt with and add vanilla paste. You may use vanilla essence as well. If you were using vanilla beans then scrape the seeds and add to cream in the first step.

Take off heat and add a tablespoon of blueberry preserve in the cream mixture.

Add gelatin to this mixture.

Pour in silicon moulds or glasses and set in the fridge for 1 hour.

I have added the blueberry preserves first in the moulds and then the panna cotta mix and in the glass its first panna cotta mix and then a little dollop of preserve.


So was it Hot or not? Lemme know.




Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #22 – post starting with V. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #21 – U for Uber Cup Cake

Hello people we are on your 21stday… yay.. I survived! And hopefully I’ll survive for the next five days as well. So what do I have for my U post? It’s rather difficult to figure out something cool and indulgent with a letter called U… so I thought of this uber cool indulgent cup cake [ I am like crazy about cup cakes]. It’s like an overdoze chocolate cup cake for all chocolate lovers. Now since I find this super cool I named it Uber Cup Cakes! That’s all I can think of right now!
There is dark chocolate, cocoa, chocolate chip and a super chocolate frosting! So it’s all ‘chocolaty’ to the core.



Now I can’t write a lot now because I am doing the panna cotta for tomorrow post!

Let’s get into it

All that you need

This recipe makes 6 cup cakes

  1. All purpose flour – 1 1/3cup
  2. Butter – ½ cup softened
  3. Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
  4. Eggs – 2 whole
  5. Sugar – 1 ½ cup
  6. Cocoa powder – 2 tablespoon
  7. Salt- a pinch
  8. Dark chocolate – ½ cup melted
  9. Chocolate chips – 2-3 tablespoon

For the frosting
  1. Dark chocolate –  ½ cup softened [you could also use white chocolate, will look good in photos, but taste wise it has to be dark chocolate for me]
  2. Butter – ½ cup
  3. Confectioners’ sugar – 1/3 cup


Let’s Get started

In a double boiler melt the dark chocolate.
Visit the Tiny Tip Section for more information on melting chocolate

In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.

Take a tablespoon of flour from here in a small bowl and mix the chocolate chips in that.
[This will prevent them from going down within the cake]

In a separate mixing bowl cream butter and sugar and add the molten chocolate

Combine the flour mix at a time and mix into the wet ingredients.

Add the chocolate chips and mix in the batter.

Line a muffin tray with paper liners.

Scoop out the batter in the muffin liners and bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 15-17 minutes.

For the frosting

In a mixing bowl incorporate butter and sugar till they cream nicely

Add the softened chocolate and mix till it turns smooth.

Pour it in a piping bag and rest it for 10 minutes

Please start frosting on the cup cakes once they have cooled down and not when they are just out from the oven.
SO there you go the Uber Cup Cake is here to dig in.



Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

————————————————————–

Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #21 – post starting with U. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #20 – T for Tea Cake

What do we have today for T. I had initially thought of doing a Tarte Strawberry or a strawberry tart bu then now its not the season of strawberries here anymore. Last weekend I went to the super-market and then the hyper market but no strawberry anywhere, so I had to change the plan and I am here sharing an equally indulgent recipe of Tea Cake!

Tea Cakes can be made in so many different ways. I like the ones which have nuts and spices. So I am sharing a recipe of Walnut & Date Tea Cake with Cinnamon twist…. Okay complicated name? It’s a simple tea cake which has walnut, dates and cinnamon. This one is my Mom –in-law’s recipe. She does some great baking. She is visiting us next week and I am sure we’ll have some great baking recipes once she is here.


All that you need

  1. Flour – 2 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon
  2. Sugar – 1 cup
  3. Butter – 1 cup
  4. Eggs – 2
  5. Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
  6. Walnut – ½ cup chopped
  7. Dry Dates – ¼ cup chopped
  8. Cinnamon – 1 stick powdered
  9. Vanilla Essence – 1 tablespoon

How to make it

Cream butter and sugar and eggs. Add vanilla extract.

In a small bowl take the chopped dry fruits and mix them with 1 tablespoon flour.

Tip: This will prevent them from sinking within the cake.

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon

Pour the wet ingredients in the flour mixture and mix until a smooth batter.

Add the dry fruits and mix well.

Rest this batter for 5 – 10 minutes

Pour the batter in a greased cake tin / baking dish and bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.


And your yummy tea cake is ready. Enjoy with your evening tea /coffee or actually at anytime.



Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #20 – post starting with T. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #19 – S for Shepherd’s Pie

Hello there, how are you guys doing? We are almost at the last leg of the challenge on the 19thday and it is S today. I have one of my comfort foods today for S. I love it because of its simplicity and warmth and a million thanks to the person who invented it. It is Shepherd’s Pie!! It is quick, simple, easy and so no nonsense kind of food.  I love it in the winters and the times when I don’t want to do something elaborate!

It’s a meat pie from the British Cuisine and I love old fashioned British food because ethey are really simple yet so yummy. I am such a Jamie Oliver follower – this one is not his recipe though. I don’t remember when and where I had it first but I remember making it for a long time.

It is one of those pies where you don’t need a short crust or you don’t need any flour at all. It’s gluten free!

There is also something called a cottage pie and that’s almost similar only it’s done with ground beef where as this is done with ground lamb. In case you are a white meat lover you can use this same recipe and replace lamb with minced chicken.

Now let’s get into making it.



All that you need

This recipe is for two people
  1. Ground lamb – 250 gms
  2. Onion – 1 chopped
  3. Carrots – 1 chopped
  4. Garlic – 4-5 cloves – minced
  5. Potato – 4 large boiled potato
  6. Olive oil – 2 tablespoon
  7. Salt & pepper to taste
  8. Smoked Paprika – 2 teaspoon
  9. Butter – 2 teaspoon
  10. Cheese – grated cheddar – 2 tablespoon

Let’s get started

In a skillet heat olive oil

Add garlic and sauté in the oil

Add onions and fry till translucent

Add carrots and fry for 2 minutes

Add ground meat and fry for 5-6 minutes till you see oil oozing out from sides

Add seasoning and smoked paprika. (I have added little coriander seed powder for that extra zing)

Cook till meat is tender. It should take about 4 more minutes

In a mixing bowl mash the boiled and peeled potatoes.

Add little butter and salt while making this mashed potato

Arranging the Pie

In a pie dish put the meat mixture and top it off with a layer of mashed potato

Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top

Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes or till the top layers turns golden.

Now wasn’t that a really easy rustic recipe. You can improvise on a lot of things. You can use a piping bag to pour the mashed potato and make some designs, you can make some designs with the form as well – I have done that but not quite visible here. 

Anyways enjoy and let me know if its HOT or NOT

Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more

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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #19 – post starting with S. 
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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A to Z Challenge Day #18 – R for Red Velvet Cup Cakes

Hello there… how is Monday treating you? Are you having the Monday Morning Blues? If yes I have the perfect trick to vanish that blue and get in some red! Yes I have my favourite cup cake today for my R post. It’s the Red Velvet Cup Cakes. I so love cup cakes and they are so easy to bake. I tend to avoid a lot of frosting in my cup cakes and like a rustic basic cup cake. But somehow I love the red velvet cup cakes because of its distinct flavor and color of course.
  
In my recipe I have kept it very easy and basic and have done 3 with a cream cheese frosting and left the rest without frosting.

This recipe makes 6 cup cakes.

 All that you need


For the Cup cake

  1. All purpose flour – 21/2  cups
  2. Confectioners’ Sugar – 1 cup
  3. Coco powder – ½ cup
  4. Salt – ½ teaspoon
  5. Butter – 1 cup
  6. Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoon
  7. Egg – 2 whole
  8. Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
  9. Vanilla essence – 1 tablespoon
  10. Butter milk – ½ cup
  11. Red Food coloring – 2 tablespoon [I used a powdered food grade color called Orange Red, if you get a color paste try to use that, it brings out amazing color, but a powder or liquid color is not that bad also.]


For the Frosting

I did very little frosting for photo’s sake so my proportions will vary. I’ll somehow will give a recipe for frosting if you want to do it for all six cup cakes

  1. Cream cheese – 6 tablespoon (in room temperature)
  2. Butter – 4 tablespoon
  3. Confectioners’ Sugar – 1/2 cup
  4. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon


Let’s get started

For the Cup cake

Its super easy actually you need to mix all dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately and then mix them together.

In a mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder and mix cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar and salt

In another bowl mix butter, eggs, oil, butter milk, vanilla essence and food coloring.

Now pour the wet mixture in the dry ingredients and mix into a smooth batter

You will find it has a bright red color. It will deepen further as you bake them.

Now line a muffin tray with muffin liners (no need to grease tray)

Pour in the batter with ice cream scoops.

Now bake in a preheated  oven at 180 degrees C or 356 degrees F for 15 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.



Tip: How Will you know your cup cake is baked?

When you place your finger on top it should be like spring action and your finger shouldn’t sink in or you shouldn’t get batter on your finger. It means it still requires little more baking time.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Take butter and cream cheese in room temperature in a mixing bowl and mix together with a spatula.

Add confectioners’ sugar and mix

Add lemon juice and mix (it will give a nice kick)

How to do the frosting?

Don’t start frosting on cupcakes which are just out from the oven, the cheese will melt.

Let the cupcakes cool down on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

You can pour the frosting in a piping bag and then swirl over the cup cakes, or use the back of a spoon or a butter knife.


I did it with a spoon because I made very little frosting and I was too lazy. I made it last evening for dinner, and we almost had the desserts first and then our dinner! 


So there you go your Red Velvet Cup Cakes are ready.

The last two pictures are clicked under light so you can see the bright red color better.

Leave a comment below if you liked the recipe and you want me to share some more
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Linking this post to A to Z Challenge 2014 for Day #18 – post starting with R. 
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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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.