The Perfect Brownies for a Lovely Sunday Evening

Perfect Chocolate Brownies

Hii..
Can you believe it I am actually blogging after a gap of a year..My goodness really its been toooooo long..Well what kept me busy..Apart from work and the usual things, planning an amazing trip to Europe last year was one of the High Points of the previous year..It was a gorgeous vacation to Norway, Denmark, Belgium and our family favorite Switzerland. Europe has always been my love..Why ..There is something so different about it..From Old Cities and Architecture to some beautiful landscapes, it has it all. And ofcourse the Food, always makes me smile.
Since I am a foodie I have to just have to mention about this Papiroen Street Food Market in Copenhagen..Its something I have never experienced before..Its a huge area next to a canal with hundreds of people gorging on some amazing food from all over the world (there must be around 200 food stalls)..It is a mind blowing experience and if your are a foodie and happen to visit Copenhagen then this place is NOT to be missed!!!

Now coming back to the Brownies..Initially I wasn't a huge fan of brownies..the primary reason being I mostly found them too dry and also I am not fond of walnuts. Then one fine day 'Theobroma' happened and I found the perfect brownies that I always wanted, they were gooey and moist with a crust, simply perfect.
Since then I had this great urge to try baking a brownie myself. And so I jumped to my favorite website 'Joy of Baking' and grabbed the easiest Brownie recipe available. And Boy o Boy it turned out so so good. Gooey, Moist with a thin crust..a 10/10.. It is an extremely simple recipe with nothing much to do. We don't even need an electric/hand mixer. A simple whisk will do the job.
Note: I have not added any walnuts but you are most welcome to do so


PLAIN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Makes: 16 pieces of 2X2 inches brownies

Ingredients

Ingredients

150 grams semisweet chocolate chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons (15 grams) cocoa powder

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a nonstick cooking spray) an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper.

Preparing the Baking pan

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.

Melting the Chocolate and Butter

3. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder and sugar.

Adding the Sugar and Cocoa Powder

4. Next, whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Finally, stir in the flour and salt

Mixing the Eggs and Flour

6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a little batter and a few moist clumps clinging to it. Do not over bake.

Pre-Baking and Post-Baking

7. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into square pieces. Remove the pieces individually from the Pan. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The Perfect Brownies

Thanks for Reading!!!

The Super Quick Indian-style Blackened Chicken

Indian-Style Blackened Chicken

Hii..
On a cold winter evening when you really don't want to do anything else but just snuggle up in your quilt, this is one of the tastiest and easiest things to cook. It matches perfectly with a bowl of hot soup and some bread. The best part it can be prepared in such a short time. I found this one while browsing the net.Its a recipe by Ruchi Airen from her blog Foodfellas. (I have made a minor modification here n there)
So without wasting much time I ll straight jump to the recipe..

INDIAN STYLE BLACKENED CHICKEN

Makes: Around 8 Chicken Legs (Serves 4)

Ingredients

Ingredients

Chicken Legs - 8pcs
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1.5 tablespoons
Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
Soya Sauce- 2 tablespoons
Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoonful
Garam Masala Powder - 1.5 teaspoonful
Black Pepper Powder - 1 teaspoonful
Salt - to taste
Refined Oil - 1 tablespoon

Procedure

1. Prick the Chicken Legs with a fork on all sides

2. Marinate the Chicken with all the above ingredients (Except for the Oil)

Marinated Chicken

3. Keep Aside for 30-35 minutes
4. Heat the Oil in a Wok and put the marinated chicken (along with the left over marinade) into the wok.

Stir Fry

5. Fry for a few minutes, then sprinkle a little water and cover and cook until done (around 20mins)
6. Once the chicken looks done, Remove the cover and stri fry on high heat to dry up all the liquid.
7. Serve Hot (You can garnish with some sliced onions and lemon wedges)

Enjoy the Blackened Chicken

Thanks for taking out time to read this!! Ciao Ciao!

The perfect Home-made Focaccia Bread

Focaccia Bread

Hii..
Bread Baking is extremely addictive, especially if you start getting successful results. After baking the White Loaf successfully a couple of times I was dying to try my hands at something different when I suddenly got reminded of the 'Focaccia Bread' and obviously I jumped at the thought!!
After some RnD on the net I found a a couple of recipes which were easy (yes I always look for easy) and doable so I combined a couple of them. The major part of the recipe was adopted from the 'Herbivore Cucina' with some minor modifications from my end.
Before we start, few of you might be wondering what is Focaccia Bread.Well it is an Italian flat bread with toppings and it is an extremely soft and melt in the mouth kind of a bread. It goes extremely well with some soup. I made some Tomato Basil Soup to go with it.

Few Important Points

I. Proofing the active dry yeast is THE most important thing while baking a bread, you surely need to proof the yeast .

II. While proofing the yeast the water should be just the correct temperature. If its too hot then the yeast will die n if its not warm enough then the yeast will remain inactive. I test by putting a drop of water on the back of my wrist. It should feel warm. (Technically the water should be around 45 degree Celsius or around 110 degree Fahrenheit, if you have a food/kitchen Thermometer you can measure it).

III. After proofing the yeast should rise and foam up (not just bubbles but like a creamy foam)..if it does not then THROW and start afresh.

IV. If you are using INSTANT yeast then I guess it doesn't require proofing but I have never really tried that so can't comment . I have always used Active Dry and proofed it first.

V. The bread dough needs to be kept in a warm place. But never keep it under the sun because the temperatures might go up unexpectedly and the yeast might die due to the heat.

FOCACCIA BREAD (Italian Flat Bread)

Makes: A 11" Dia x 1" height Round Loaf

Ingredients
 
For the Bread
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 3 cups (Around 450gms)
Active Dry Yeast - 2 and 1/2 teaspoonful
Warm Milk - 3 tablespoons
Warm Water - 1 and 1/2 cups
Refined Oil - 3 tablespoons
Butter (at room temperature) - 1 teaspoonful
Sugar - 2 teaspoonful
Salt - 1 teaspoon

For the Toppings
Onions - sliced
Green Capsicum - 1/2 sliced
Red Capsicum - 1/2 sliced
Tomato - 1/2 sliced
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - 2 teaspoonful (optional)
Black Olives sliced ( I didn't use since I and N are not fond of Olives)
Red Chilli Flakes - 1 teaspoonful
Italian Seasoning’s/ Dried Herbs (Oregano,Basil,Thyme) - 1.5 teaspoonful

Procedure

1. Take a Big bowl and add 1 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon Sugar .Mix Well
2. Add the Yeast and Mix, now Sprinkle 1 more teaspoon of sugar.
3. Cover and keep for 10-12 mins, it should Foam (if it doesn't then throw and start again)

Proofing of the Yeast

4. Add the Oil, Salt, another 1/2 cup of warm water, Milk, Butter in the foamed up Yeast

Dough Preparation

5. Mix in the flour (in batches) in the bowl and keep mixing till it looks like a dough.

6. Take out dough on the counter and knead for 7-8 mins (Not more than that)

Dough ready for 1st Rise

7. Place dough in greased bowl, cover (with food wrap or damp towel cloth and keep in a warm and humid place.
Now since it is winters and its difficult to find a warm and humid place so I do the following. I use a microwave-convection oven so I Heat little water in the microwave (micro mode) and take out the container. Now I place the dough container in the switched off microwave.After 30 mins Take the dough container out and reheat water and place the dough container again.

8. Dough should double in volume in 1 hour or so (more than the time the volume is important)

After 1st Rise ..........................................Toppings

9. Punch Down the dough and knead for another 3-4 minutes

10. Grease your baking dish and flatten the dough and place it on the dish. Cover and keep for second rise for another 45 minutes.

After 2nd Rise

11. Once the flattened dough has risen, uncover the dish and make dimples softly with your finger tips on the top surface

12. Sprinkle the Chilli Flakes and the Italian Seasoning on top.

Adding the toppings

13. Now top it with the slices vegetables (softly press the vegetables)

14. Preheat Oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

15. Once Preheated change the temperature to 180 Degrees Celsius and Bake for 25 minutes.

16. Cool for 10 minutes then slice and serve with some warm soup.

Slice Up and Enjoy with some Soup

Thanks for taking out time to read.

A slice of Fresh White Bread

White Bread Loaf

Hii..
Baking is something which has always intrigued me..Being from a Science background (in fact Physics to be specific Oh Gosh!!), baking always gives me that exciting feeling which we used to have during our lab experiments. Sometimes even when I am extremely tired, the mere idea of baking fills me up with energy.. Well I had tried my hand at Cakes, Muffins, Cheesecakes so it was high time I tried baking a simple White Bread Loaf.. Yes something so basic yet so wonderful. After browsing through quite a few recipes I settled for this one. (no specific reason just an intuitive feeling that this should be good). And Boy it did turn out to be delicious.. One thing is for sure.Once you start baking breads at home, you won't feel buying one from the market!!

Before jumping to the Recipe which is actually very simple I would like to point out a couple of things which needs to be kept in mind while baking Breads!

Few Important Points

I. Proofing the active dry yeast is THE most important thing while baking a bread, you surely need to proof the yeast .

II. While proofing the yeast the water should be just the correct temperature. If its too hot then the yeast will die n if its not warm enough then the yeast will remain inactive. I test by putting a drop of water on the back of my wrist. It should feel warm. (Technically the water should be around 45 degree Celsius or around 110 degree Fahrenheit, if you have a food/kitchen Thermometer you can measure it).

III. After proofing the yeast should rise and foam up (not just bubbles but like a creamy foam)..if it does not then THROW and start afresh.

IV. If you are using INSTANT yeast then I guess it doesn't require proofing but I have never really tried that so can't comment . I have always used Active Dry and proofed it first.

V. The bread dough needs to be kept in a warm place. But never keep it under the sun because the temperatures might go up unexpectedly and the yeast might die due to the heat.

WHITE BREAD LOAF
Makes: One 9X5 Loaf

Ingredients

Active Dry Yeast

Active Dry Yeast - 2 and 2/3rd teaspoons
Water- 1 and half cups - Warm
Butter- 30gms (at room temperature-it should be soft)
Sugar- 3 teaspoons
Salt - to taste
All Purpose Flour / Maida (If you can mange to get hold of bread flour use that)  - 450gms (if using bread flour use 500gms)


Procedure for the bread
1. Take a Big bowl and add 1 cup warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar .Mix Well
2. Add the Yeast and Mix, now Sprinkle 1 more teaspoon of sugar.
3. Cover and keep for 10-12 mins, it should Foam (if it doesn't then throw and stat again)

Proofing

4. Add Butter, Another 1/2 cup warm water, Salt and Mix Well

Mixing the FLour

5. Mix in the flour (in batches) in the bowl and keep mixing till it looks like a dough.

6. Take out dough on the counter and knead for 7-8 mins (Not more than that)

Placing the dough for the 1st Rise

7. Place dough in greased bowl, cover (with food wrap or damp towel cloth and keep in a warm and humid place.
Now since it is winters and its difficult to find a warm and humid place so I do the following. I use a microwave-convection oven so I Heat little water in the microwave (micro mode) and take out the container. Now I place the dough container in the switched off microwave.After 30 minsTake the dough container out and reheat water and place the dough container again.

8. Dough should double in volume in 1 hour or so (more than the time the volume is important)

Cover and Rise

9.. Punch Down the dough and place in greased Loaf tin

Punching DOugh and Placing in Loaf Tin

10. Cover with damp cloth and let it rise (double up) in the microwave(switched off) for 40-45mins

Placing for 2nd Rise

13. Now take out the loaf tin and preheat oven (on convection mode) at 220 C (with some water in the baking dish) over the wire rack.

14. Once pre-heated replace the baking dish with the loaf tin on the wire rack.

15. Bake at 190 C for 30mins

Loaf ready and plced for cooling

16. Once done Cool the bread on a wire rack and then slice using a serrated knife.

Slice up

You can enjoy a fresh slice with some butter or jam. It is soft as a pillow.
NOTE: Best to consume it on Day 1 cause its ultra soft, but if consider having it the next day then you can toast/grill the slices!

A No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Hii..
Who doesn't love a Cheesecake..Its something which can make you smile even on a bad day..Well personally I prefer the No-bake ones to the baked ones..Simply cause I find the flavours and texture more endearing..I usually keep making cheesecakes for some special occasions..But I fine day I was really craving for one so even though there was no special reason I made one and OMG was I happy or was I happy!!
Well I didnot use Cream Cheese here and simply substituted it with some ingredients like cottage cheese, fresh cream and condensed milk (since these were readily available).
I was also craving for some hazelnut chocolate so I decided to incorporate that flavour in the Cheesecake itself. So here goes my Nutella Cheesecake

NO-BAKE NUTELLA CHEESECAKE (EGGLESS)}

Ingredients

Ingredients

For the base
Biscuits - 25-30 digestive biscuits  (or any chocolate biscuit)
Butter - 80 gms

For the cheesecake layer
Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 200 gms
Condensed milk - 1 tin (400 ml) I used milkmaid
Fresh cream - 200 ml (I used Amul fresh cream)
Nutella Jar - 350 gms
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Gelatin - 2 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method

Preparation
1. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 inch springform pan.
2. If you don't have a springform pan, use your normal cake pan or a tart pan. Line the regular cake pan with a clingfilm or aluminium foil. Line the bottom and sides together without cutting the clingfilm so that you can easily lift the cheesecake out when it's set.
3. Add the gelatin to half cup of water and mix. Set aside for 5 minutes to bloom. Microwave for 30 seconds or heat it in a saucepan for 30 seconds and let it cool. it will become a clear solution. Let it cool.

Preparing the Base

FOR THE BASE
1. Take the largest jar of your blender and add crumbled biscuits in it and process to a fine powder and transfer to a bowl.
2. Melt the butter and add it to the biscuit powder and mix well.
3. Transfer this biscuit mixture to the base of the pan and press well. Refrigerate it until we finish the next step.

Preparing the Cheesecake Layer

FOR THE CHEESECAKE
1. Grate or chop the paneer and add it to a blender. Add the condensed milk and fresh cream and blend till smooth.
2. Now add the vanilla extract, and salt. Blend again.
3. Add the entire Nutella spread and blend again till it's smooth and creamy.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Add the cooled gelatin and mix well.
5. Bring the springform pan from the refrigerator and pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuit base layer.
6. Tap once to remove the air bubbles. Cover and refrigerate until set.
7. Let it set for atleast 4 hours. (I did it overnight)
8. Remove the springform pan slowly and decorate as you wish.

Enjoy

And Since its Christmas - Easy Light Fruit Cake

Its Christmas

Hii..
One of the major advantages of being born and brought up in Delhi (and also in a Colony for Government officials) is that we get to interact with such a variety of people from all over India.. There is never a dull or repetitive moment throughout the year because one of your neighbours is always celebrating some festival and you too get to participate.. I still remember gorging on Mithai's at my Punjabi friend's house on Diwali, celebrating Dashami with a grand dinner at a fellow Bengali neighbour, savouring delicious Mutton on Eid at a Muslim friend's place and so on..
Every festival became an integral part of our lives..And on Christmas, Baba and Maa used to make sure we get to eat the yummiest cakes at home or from the market!!

And thankfully me n N also make sure we continue with the tradition of enjoying as many festivities as possible..So this year I decided we are not going to buy a plum cake for Christmas instead I ll bake a Fruit Cake at Home. Yes and I did just that and believe me the reaction on N's face when he took the first bite was totally worth it!

Christmas Cakes usually requires weeks of effort but as you know the lazy bones that I am I couldn't imagine putting in that much effort. And the internet has something for everyone's needs, so I found this recipe in 'Joy of Baking' for a light fruit cake which can be baked and savoured on the same day.

So this Christmas is definitely extra special for us cause I baked my 1st Christmas Cake..here goes the recipe



LIGHT and EASY FRUIT CAKE

Makes: 1 Loaf ( 9 x 5 x 3 inches Cake)

Ingredients

1 cup (200 grams) candied red or green cherries/tooti frooti (cut into quarters)

1/2 cup (50 grams) raisins

2-3 tablespoons  rum, brandy, or sherry (optional)

1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (120 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (50 grams) ground almonds (almond meal/flour)
20 sliced almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

Zest of one small lemon (outer skin)

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk (whole or reduced fat)

NOTE: If desired, in a bowl combine the candied cherries, and raisins. Stir in the alcohol, cover, and let sit at room temperature at least a day (up to two days). Stir occasionally.

Procedure

1. I prepared the Almond Meal/flour at Home. I blanched 50 gms of Almond (boil the almonds uncovered for 2 minutes) then removed the skin and let it dry COMPLETELY for around an hour. Once the almonds are dry then I coarsely ground then into Almond meal. But make sure you donot turn it into almond butter by grinding further.

Almond Meal Preparation

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter (1-2mins)  Add the sugar and beat further until light and fluffy (around 4-5 minutes)


3.Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. (The batter might looks curdled, need not worry)

Cake Batter Preparations

4. Add the Vanilla Extract into the batter and mix well.

5. Add the candied and dried fruits, along with any juices, and beat until incorporated. Beat in half the flour mixture just until incorporated. Then beat in the milk and then the remaining flour mixture. Donot overmix.

6. When cake batter is ready , preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C), with the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on the inside flat surface and flour the pan.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smoothen the top with a knife or spatula and, if desired, decorate the top of the cake with sliced or flaked almonds.

Placing the batter

8. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 60 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If you find the cake is browning too much, cover with a piece of aluminum foil.)

9. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Cooling Off

10. The cake does benefit from being stored a day or two before serving, as this softens the outer crust and allows the flavours to mingle.

Slice it off

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas and a great festive season ahead..Thanks for taking out time to read
P.S: You are welcome to comment and send me tips to improve.

Winter Evenings and a One-Pot Meal (Vegetable Noodle Soup Bowl)

VEGETABLE NOODLE SOUP - ONE POT MEAL

Hi.. I Love Winters-"Period" ..probably because the dreamer in me feels more enthusiastic in this weather.. And when it comes to food then all the fresh colorful vegetables available in winters always make me smile!
One such winter evening when me n N felt like having something simple yet yum, that is when this idea popped into my head..Why not turn all the vegetables in the refrigerator into something so perfect for a cold winter night..So here it is..A warm tasty ONE POT MEAL - VEGETABLE NOODLES SOUP BOWL. This is an extremely simple healthy and delicious full meal.
P.S: If you have chicken available in your fridge you can add boiled shredded chicken to it.

ONE POT MEAL - VEGETABLE NOODLE SOUP Makes: Four bowls


Ingredients

Colorful Veggies

Button Mushroom: 300gms
Beans : 50gms
Carrots: 2 large
Spring Onions - 6 stems
Onion - 1 medium
Garlic - 5 -6 cloves
Ginger -  2" piece
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Refined Oil - ! tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1tsp 
Red Chilli Sauce 1.5 tsps
Tomato Sauce 1.5 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons
Ajino Moto - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Boiled Egg - 2 (optional)
Noodles - 200gms
Sugar - 1tspWater/vegetable stalk - 6-7 cups

Preparations

Procedure

1. Chop the Onions, Spring Onion Whites and Green and the Coriander leaves

2. Slice the Mushrooms, Carrots and Beans

3. Mince the Ginger and Garlic

4. Boil the noodles and drain the water and keep aside



5. In the same pan, Heat the butter and oil and stir in the Ginger and garlic, add the chopped onions and spring onion whites and stir

6. Add the mushrooms, carrots and beans and stir well.

7. After a few minutes and the chopped spring onion greens (keeping aside 1 tablespoon for garnish), stir well

8. Add the Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper Powder and Ajiono Moto (optional) and stir.

9. Add the sauces and mix well

10. Add the water/stalk and cover and let it simmer

11. Cook for around 10 minutes

12. When the vegetables looks done..Add the Lemon Juice and Coriander Leaves

13. In a bowl add some boiled noodles and pour some soup and vegetables over it. Garnish with spring onion greens and Sliced Boiled Egg.
Serve HOT!!!

Enjoy your ONE- POT MEAL!!!

Ready