2012 - A Flashback!!

I had been wanting to do this "Best Of" post for every milestone in my blog. But somehow could not get into doing it. Srivalli's post on Best of 2012 event motivated me to look back at 2012 - the year that was. Completing two years of blogging this month I thought this is the best time to do it.

Favorite Post
Nothing was more sweeter and beautiful than my dear blog buddies' lovely gesture for welcoming our bundle of joy Kavin. Little Kavin turned 6 months now and is keeping his mom super busy. 

Favorite Recipe
My favorite recipe this year is Kollu Podi / Horse Gram Spice Powder. This is a aromatic and flavorful podi for idli/dosa with all the yummy goodness which you don't feel guilty at all. Thanks to MIL for the recipe.

Favorite Recipe tried from other blogs
This Orange Olive Oil Eggless cake which I tried from Priya's space received rave reviews. Spongy, Citrus-y and soooo goood..

Top recipes in 2012

This year's popular recipe post is Chana Masala with Home made Chana Masala Powder which is also the all time popular post in my blog.

The second most popular is Vegetable Kurma.

The third one is Pressure Cooker Vegetable Briyani.

Recipes Close to my Heart
Urad dhal Sweet Bonda is a traditional sweet made at our home during festivals and marriages.

Pumpkin Pasties from Harry Potter. I was in cloud nine when I tasted these beauties I made.

Resolutions for 2013
This new year's resolution for me is to blog at-least twice a month. Silly, I know, but spending time on my computer is a luxury nowadays!! 

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Sweet & Spicy Baked Tofu - Asian Style

Tofu has been our favorite ingredient when it comes to quick snack. There are certain foods which DH is not very fond of. One of them is Tofu. At least I thought so until he actually liked something with tofu. It was when we went to a Thai place near our house before sometime. He did enjoy the vegetables with tofu served with rice. Then I "discovered" why he liked them. It was because it was crispy. And there started my quest for making tofu appealing to him. Fry or bake. Mission accomplished. This time I made a simple marinade and baked the tofu. It tasted almost close to the Organic Tofu which we tasted in Noodles and Company. Also check out my Tofu Golden triangles.

Ingredients:
Extra firm tofu - 1 block
Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
Low sodium Soy sauce - 1/4 cup
Garlic - chopped fine - 3 tbsp
Ginger - chopped fine - 2 tbsp
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - chopped fine - 2 tbsp
Crushed Red pepper flakes OR Finely chopped dry red chillies - 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp (based on your spice level)
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Salt - a tad bit

Method:
Press the tofu and remove excess water. Cut into little cubes or fingers. Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a ziploc bag. Add the tofu and mix well. Place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours to 24 hours turning over every couple of hours. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the tofu cubes in a foil lined cookie sheet which is sprayed with oil. Bake for 40-50 mins until crispy on the outside. Brush the remaining marinade over the tofu pieces midway through the baking. Crispy sweet and spicy tofu is done! 
Serve over fried rice, noodles, stir fries or just dig in with a fork like I did.

Linking these up to..
Know your Sweetness - Brown Sugar
Quick and Easy Recipes
Bake Fest #14
SYF & HWS - Ginger event by Anu
Spotlight - Healthy Baking

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Hot Fried Prawn By Chef Shireen Anwer

Hot Fried Prawn

Ingredients
Jumbo prawns 300 gm
Ginger chopped 1 medium piece
Garlic chopped 3 – 4 cloves

Spring onion chopped 1 (optional)
Flour 3 tbsp
Chili powder ½ tsp
Worchester sauce 1 tbsp
Egg 1
Coriander leaves 2 tbsp (optional)
Oil for fry
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Baking powder ½ tsp
Dry flour ½ cup
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder ¼ tsp

Method
• Wash and clean 300 gm jumbo prawns, cut from centre, coat with dry flour and keep aside.
• In a bowl mix together 3 tbsp flour, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp corn flour, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 egg, salt to taste and water as required to make medium consistency batter.
• Also add in ½ tsp chili powder , chopped coriander leaves and chopped spring onion leaves.
• Now dip each prawn into the batter, coat the batter very well on prawns, deep fry till golden brown.

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Beef Seekh Kabab By Chef Shireen Anwer

Beef Seekh Kabab

Ingredients
Beef mince ½ kg
Kidneys fat 125 gm
Coriander leaves ¼ bunch
Onion 1
Green chilies 3 – 4
Ginger 1 piece
All spice powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
• In chopper put together ½ kg mince, 3 – 4 green chilies, 1 piece of ginger, 1 chopped onion and ¼ bunch of coriander leaves. Chopperize well. Also add 125 gm kidneys fat and chopperize for another 2 minutes.
• Add 1 tsp all spice powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and salt to taste. Chopperize for more 1 – 2 minutes.
• Remove paste in a platter.
• Put ice cool water in a bowl, wet your palm with chilled water. Make small kababs on metal skewers.
• Now bar b q all the kababs on burning coals. Change the sides after every 30 seconds. Grill till golden brown from every side.
• Serve with chutney.

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Chatpati Beef Boti By Chef Shireen Anwer

Chatpati Beef Boti

Ingredients
Beef undercut ½ kg
Papaya paste 3 tbsp
Tamarind paste 3 tbsp

Lemon (juice) 1
Green chilies ground 3
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Crushed red pepper 1 tbsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Chaat masala 1 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Shashlik sticks as required
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Chili sauce 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
• Cut ½ kg beef undercut into cubes, marinate with 3 ground green chilies, juice of 1 lemon, 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 3 tbsp raw papaya paste, 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chaat masala, 2 tbsp oil and salt to taste.
• Mix well and keep aside.
• Then add 2 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsp chili garlic paste. Keep aside for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Thread 3 – 4 cubes in each shashlik stick. Cook in grill pan till golden brown.

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Chicken Oyster Sauce with Noodles By Chef Shireen Anwer

Chicken Oyster Sauce with Noodles

Ingredients
Chicken breast sliced 2
Boiled egg noodles ½ packet
Chopped peanut 25 gm

Carrot sliced 1
Capsicum sliced 1
Worchester sauce 4 tbsp
Boiled egg 2
Black mushrooms 3 – 4
Button mushrooms 5 – 6
Tomato (remove seeds) 2
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Oil 3 – 4 tbsp
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder ¼ tsp

Method
• Heat oil in a wok, add garlic paste and sliced chicken. Fry till its color is changed.
• Then add 1 sliced carrot, 1 sliced capsicum and 25 gm peanut. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
• Now add ½ packet boiled noodles, 2 chopepd tomatoes, 4 tbsp oyster sauce, sliced black mushroom, sliced button mushroom, tomato ketchup, salt to taste and ½ tsp black pepper.
• Mix very well.
• Dish it out, garnish with boiled and sliced egg. Serve hot.

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Chicken Ball in Red Sauce By Chef Shireen anwer

Chicken Ball in Red Sauce

Ingredients
Chicken mince ½ kg
Milk 1 cup
Bread crumbs 4 tbsp
Butter 2 tbsp
Oil ¼ cup
Button mushroom ½ cup
Flour 3 tbsp
Chicken stock 1 cup
Red grapes juice ½ cup
Boiled chopped tomatoes 3
Tomato paste 2 tbsp
Parsley chopped ¼ bunch
Spring onion chopped 2
Chili powder 1 tsp
Boiled spaghetti ½ packet
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder ¼ tsp
Coriander leaves 1 tbsp

Method
• In chopper put together chicken mince, bread crumbs, milk, salt and chopperize well.
• Make small sized balls with the mixture and keep aside.
• Heat butter and oil in a pan, add in chicken balls and fry till golden brown. Then remove from oil and keep aside.
• In the same wok add 3 tbsp flour and fry for 2 minutes. Then add 1 cup chicken stock and ½ cup sliced mushrooms.
• Cook for 1 – 2 minutes, then add red grapes nectar, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, cover and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
• Now add fried chicken balls, chopped spring onion, chili powder, salt to taste and cook covered on low flame.
• Boil half packet of spaghetti and remove from water, add to the red sauce.
• Mix well over high flame. Dish it out and serve hot.

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Cantonese Style Chicken By Chef Shireen anwer

Cantonese Style Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken Thai boneless ½ kg
Black mushrooms 2 – 3
Button mushroom 8 – 10

Oil 3 – 4 tbsp
Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Baby corn 4 – 5
Bamboo shoots 1 medium
Spring onion 2
Fish sauce 1 tbsp
Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
Water ¼ cup
Corn flour 1 tbsp
Brown sugar 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder ¼ tsp

Method
• Cut boneless chicken into juliennes. Finely slice 4 – 5 baby corn, 2 – 3 black mushrooms, and 8 – 10 button mushrooms.
• Heat 3 – 4 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tbsp garlic paste. Fry till its fragrance comes out. Now add in sliced chicken and fry till golden brown.
• Then add in chopped bamboo shoot, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, sliced baby corn and chopped spring onion. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
• Now add fish sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, salt to taste and black pepper powder. Fry well for 1 – 2 minutes more.
• Lastly add ¼ cup water and let it cook.
• Thicken sauce with corn flour paste and dish it out, serve with boiled rice.

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Fried Mince Pizza By Chef Shireen anwer

Fried Mince Pizza


Ingredients for Stuffing
Mince 250 gm
Capsicum 1
Tomato 1

Onion 1
Oil for fry
Mozzarella cheese 1 packet
Oregano 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Green chilies 2 – 3
Egg half
Butter 1 tbsp
Parsley ¼ bunch
Ingredients for Sauce
Tomato paste ½ cup
Crushed red pepper 1 tbsp
Oregano ½ tsp
Thyme ½ tsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ingredients for Dough
Flour 250 gm
Salt to taste
Yeast 1 tbsp
Butter 3 tbsp
Milk ½ cup
Egg 1
Water little



Method
• In chopper put together 250 gm mince, 1 chopped onion, 2 – 3 green chilies, 1 capsicum and 1 egg. Chopperize well.
• In a wok heat a little oil, add in chopperize mince and fry well. Remove from fire and keep aside.
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in another pan, add 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp crushed red pepper, ½ tsp oregano and ½ tsp thyme. Fry for few seconds.
• Now add ½ cup tomato paste and cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
• For making dough dissolve 1 tbsp yeast in ½ cup lukewarm milk.
• Mix together 250 gm flour and dissolved yeast mixture, also add 1 beaten egg, 3 tbsp butter, salt to taste and knead to dough with water as required.
• Cover with a plastic and keep aside for 10 – 12 minutes.
• Spread dough in a greased pizza pan, top with prepared pizza sauce.
• Spread fried mince on top. Sprinkle with ¼ bunch of chopped parsley.
• Put tomato cubes on top. Cover with grated mozzarella cheese.
• Sprinkle top with a pinch of oregano.
• Brush edges with a little butter and beaten egg.
• Lastly bake in a preheated oven on 200 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.

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Beef Pasta with vegetables by Chef shireen anwer

Beef Pasta with vegetables


Ingredients:
1 packet Kolson pasta
250 grams beef undercut
1 tomato

1 capsicum
¼ bunch cauliflower
1 carrot
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 chicken cubes
¼ cup chili garlic sauce
Black pepper as required
½ tsp oregano
Salt as required
3 tbsp cream cheese
4 tbsp oil

Method
Boil water in a pan, add in kolson pasta and boil till done. Now drain out extra water and pur in strainer,
Blanch cauliflower and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and sauté till golden brown, then add in sliced beef and fry till its color is changed.
Now add the chopped vegetables and cook till tender. Add chili garlic sauce, salt, oregano and black pepper. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes.
Lastly add boiled pasta, blanched cauliflower and cream cheese. Simmer for a few minutes.
Dish it out and serve.

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Pumpkin Pasties from Harry Potter

For all the Harry Potter fans out there... This is for you. Well, not a big fan of Potter? no problem you would love this too. I and DH are big fans of Harry Potter. If it is a boring weekend, not a great weather and nothing good on TV we will make it a "Harry Potter Weekend". We will watch all the eight HP movies back to back. A great way to spend the weekend isn't it? 
Pumpkin pasties are sold in the trolley run by Honeydukes express on the Hogwarts express. In the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry first meets Cho Chang in the train when she buys pumpkin pasties. I have never thought on how it would taste like back then. It was recently when the foodie in me made me to try this lovely delicacy. I did some research and arrived at this recipe. So happy that it turned out awesome in the first attempt. This is a totally egg-less fare (when milk is used to brush the top) and super easy to make. If using home-made pumpkin puree, press out to remove extra water. Hooray, then you would get pumpkin juice, another Hogwarts specialty.

Ingredients:
Makes 8-10 pasties
For the Never Fail Pie Crust:
Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine
All purpose flour  - 1 & 1/3 cups
Butter - 8 tbsp (cold, cut into cubes)
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Ice Cold water - 3 to 4 tbsps
For the filling:
Pumpkin puree - 1 cup (canned or home-made)
Light Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
Ground Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Ground Ginger - 1/4 tsp
Ground Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
For Brushing:
Egg - 1 slightly beaten and mixed with a tbsp of water or milk as required

Method:
Place all the ingredients for the crust in a blender or food processor except the ice water. Pulse for a couple of times until the butter almost disappears. Now add the ice water 1 tbsp at a time and pulse until the dough comes together. Remove the dough and pat to form a solid mass. Wrap in a cling-wrap and pop it into the refrigerator for about 2 to 4 hours.
Mix the ingredients for the filling in a pan in low heat until the sugar melts, just a couple of minutes. Allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Thaw the crust in room temperature for 30 minutes. Flour a board and place the dough on it. Roll into about a 1/8 inch thick. Cut into little rounds with a cookie cutter or any bowl with sharp edge. Roll the cut out dough still more thinner. Place about a tablespoon (or more) of the filling on one half of the rolled dough. Fold over the other half and crimp the edges with your finger or fork. Transfer carefully to the cookie sheet. Make the other pasties similarly. The dough leftover from the cut dough can be made into a ball and rolled over again to be cut. Brush the top of the pasties with egg or milk and bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown on the outside.
Serve warm.
Note: 
1. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to crumble the butter if you are not using the food processor.
2. The amount of water needed for the dough depends on the humidity in your area. More the humidity, lesser the water. I used about 3.5 tbsps.
3. The sweetness in the filling is just right. You could make it more sweet per your taste buds.
4. Play around with the spices and make the filling spicy if you wish. There are no set rules.
5. This can be made totally egg-free by brushing with milk for browning.
Sending these baked beauties to the following events..
Know your Sweetness - Brown Sugar event by Jags
Serve It - Original Recipes from home event my me and Denny
Kid's Delight - Story Book Special
Merry Christmas Celebrations
Favorite Recipes - Christmas event
Lets Cook - Edible Gifts

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PB & J Cookies / Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

I had planned to bake some cookies for one of DH's friends. I promised him to make something nice when he left for work in the morning. I hadn't really thought about what I was gonna make until even after I took the eggs and butter out to come to room temperature. I was just browsing over my bookmarks and found these beautiful Peanut Butter Thumbprint cookies which Denny had made a couple months ago. Her pictures were the most important reason which made me try these beauties. It is a very simple process which is not in par with the appreciations I got after the taste test.

Ingredients:
Yields - 2 dozen cookies
All purpose flour/Maida - 1-3/4 cups
Salt - 1/4 
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Butter - 1/2 cup (unsalted, room temperature)
Light Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup + more for coating
Egg - 1 (room temperature)
Creamy Peanut Butter - 1/2 cup
Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Jam (Your desired flavor) - for filling

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together with a whisk. In another bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar with a electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again. Add the flour mixture in 4 batches and slowly incorporate into the wet mixture. The whole mixture will come together as a dough. Make lime sized balls out of the dough and roll in the granulated sugar and arrange in the cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Basically 1 dozen cookies in a medium tray. Use 1/2 tsp measure (rounded) or your thumb to make an indentation in the top of the cookie and press down slowly. Fill with jam (well to your heart's content). Bake for 9-12 mins until it is done. The cookies will still be soft when warm and hardens as it cools. Enjoy!

Now sending this yummy goodness to a long list of events.
Know your Sweetness - Brown Sugar;
Merry Christmas Celebrations;
Bake Fest #14;
Favorite Recipes - Christmas recipes;
Let's Cook - Edible Gifts;
Bon Vivant #10 - Festive Feasts;
Cookies and Cakes for X-mas;

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