Vanilla Cake with Strawberry jelly filling and "Shaggy mum' flower design

Where have I disappeared?? Well.....meet the new Research Associate at Indiana University!!! Yes...going 'back' to work after 5 year long 'maternity' break! 
As you can guess, the passion that kept me 'busy' and 'motivated' all through the 5 years...will take a bit of a back seat now...and you won't see me blogging as before,but I will be cooking sizzling food and posting whenever possible. I hope you understand and keep visiting TheSizzlingPan as you always have:) 

Last week we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and I baked this cake specially for the big day!

I was looking for a Vanilla cake recipe...with oil instead of butter and I found a good one here:
http://acookatheart.blogspot.com/2011/03/simple-vanilla-cake-using-oil.html 

I baked the cakes( 2 round, 8 inch cakes) as directed.Made some butter cream icing in white and light green color.
In between the 2 cakes, I applied a layer of strawberry jelly/ jam.

Frosted the cakes with green icing. I made the shaggy mum flowers with stiff white icing. The final touch was the 'edible pearls' sprinkled on the flowers.

 What was on the menu for our Anniversary day???  We 'relived' our BIG day by recreating our 'Lagnacha menu'/ Wedding day menu on the 10th Anniversary:)

Egg-in-a-Hole!

Since the summer break started, I hardly get to watch my favorite "Food Network". Little 'E' has captured the TV and plays "Magic School Bus' NON Stop!!

Just when he was busy with something else, I happened to see a part of Ree Drummond's show and she was making ....Egg in a Hole!!! Loved the simplicity and the 'wow' factor which could be created with such few ingredients and I totally saw myself making this for breakfast the very next day!!

Here is the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/egg-in-a-hole-recipe/index.html

The only thing which I had to do extra was..to cook the egg longer to cook the yolk completely. ( I don't like uncooked flavor of eggs) Some yolk was still moist....which I re-heated in the pan to cook it fully.

Vegetable Biryani

I know..I know..what you are thinking...I haven't been blogging actively lately....but a lot is happening this month and it's hard to catch up with everything!! Both kiddos birthdays in June, then the Puerto Rico trip...'in-laws' will be here next week...M's work travel....
Anyways....here is my favorite "Vegetable Biryani' recipe that I made for lil 'A's birthday party. The theme was 'Soap bubbles' as she loveeess popping bubbles and I made snack foods that were 'round' like bubbles!!

Round Melon balls in Melon shells-

Nutella sandwiches cut into circles-

Vegetable Biryani Recipe:

Ingredients:
Rice-
1 cup Basmati rice
1.5 cups Hot water plus a little more
4 of each cloves, black peppers,small cinnamon pieces
1/2tsp black jeera
salt
2tsp oil

Vegetable masala-
1/4 cup each of carrots,cauliflower,potatoes,green pepper,peas, corn kernels
1/2 cup dry/fresh grated coconut
2 medium onions sliced
2 medium tomatoes
1tbsp  chopped mint
1tsp sesame seeds
2tsp Biryani masala
2tsp red chili powder
2tsp ginger-garlic
4 of each cloves, black peppers,small cinnamon pieces
1tsp black jeera
salt
4tsp oil

Toppings and garnishing-
1 large onion sliced and fried till golden brown.
1 potato fried like french fries
1/4 tsp saffron in 2tsp warm milk
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped mint
Cashews
Almonds

Method:
1) Wash the rice and keep aside. Heat oil, add the cloves etc, ad the rice and saute for few seconds. Add the hot water,salt and let the rice cook and absorb the water. Cover for 10 mins. Then spread the rice in large plates to cool and help the grains remain separated.
2) For the veg.masala- roast the coconut, onions,tomatoes till golden. Let them cool. Grind in the blender along with ginger-garlic, sesame seeds.
3) Heat 2tsp oil,add cloves,cumin etc and the vegetables. Saute the vegetables till golden.Add the above masala paste, chili powder, biryani masala, salt etc Add very little water and cook.Add the chopped mint and mix.
4) Layering-
Coat the pan with some oil Add some cooked rice in a layer. Top with some Vegetable masala, fried onions, potatoes , chopped mint and cilantro.
Layer with rice again, then masala, then rice again. Top and decorate with the garnishing.
Pour the saffron-milk mixture all over the rice.
Steam in the oven/ stove top on low flame till steaming hot!

Serve hot along with cool cucumber-onion-yogurt Raita!

Refreshing 'Spa' Water!

Since the past few trips that we took, it has become customary (and I love it!), that 'M' takes care of the kids and I visit the Spa in the resort we are staying in! I feel guilty at times, that I get pampered, but love the occasional indulgence!

This time, in Puerto Rico, I visited this "Bali' influenced Spa named 'Mandara'. After the Spa treatment, they offered this cool refreshing drink.... Simple cold water that had Lemon slices,Cucumber slices and strawberries soaking in it ....It was SO simple yet..SO Refreshing....I drank like 4 glasses of it.....literally:)

How to make it:

Fill a glass jug with cold water. Add few cucumber slices, 1-2 cut up strawberries and 2-3 lemon slices. Just squeeze a few drops of lemon juice in the water as well and let it chill and soak up all the good flavors!!!

 You will love to sip on this refreshing water and feel rejuvenated in minutes!

 

"Bites" from Puerto Rico!!

Where was I all last week?? Yeahhh....in Puerto Rico!!!! We were so excited to get on the plane for this trip. It was a special one because...it was a trip planned to celebrate our BIG 10th wedding anniversary!Time really flies.....and the 10 years don't seem that long at all....in a 'deep' depth of a loving relationship:)

So yeah...Puerto Rico was very 'familiar' in certain ways..and very different in the other. There was the familiarity of 'US' like malls and approaching western culture....and the difference was in small colorful houses, the narrow streets, the fusion cuisine of various cultures. It sometimes felt very similar to the modern day 'India'...where there are those big malls/resorts etc  lavishly decorated, beaming with money......and the minute you come out..you are struck by reality...the tiny houses in the slums, crowded streets etc.

The land itself was 'green'...lush with tropical vegetation...plantain/banana trees, mango trees, coconuts etc. The weather was cloudy rainy in the rainforest area....but otherwise pleasantly sunny.

Here are the glimpses of the few 'bites' we had in Puerto Rico--
Pina Coladas....I can sip on these all day long!

'Stuffed Piquillo Peppers" at "Marbella" Rio Mar Beach Resort in Puerto Rico. The peppers were stuffed with mashed plantains and porcini mushrooms. The crunchy salad of onions,green peppers and carrots made it more delicious!!!

Fried chicken with Mango

  Tostones (Plantain fritters)

Tres Leches cake

Seven Layer chocolate cake

A day at the Farm and Kale Chips!

Couple weeks ago...we made a 1/2 day trip to the nearby 'Huber' farms for fresh strawberry picking. The kids(and us) loved picking up the red juicy berries and filling up their baskets to the full! It was a beautiful day, lovely weather and farm fresh produce made the trip totally worth it.

At their bakery ....we bought this spicy "Jalapeno Cheese" bread and it was delicious!

And then the question was what all to make with this fresh and lovely produce- Kale, Corn, Asparagus and Strawberries??
For quite sometime...I had being hearing about 'Kale Chips" and wanted to try'em out.
I found the recipe here-http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html 
They had a unique flavor with a crisp texture, a super healthy snack and the whole bunch of Kale was gone in no time! And guess who ate the most chips???? It was my little 'E' :)

Summer Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Almonds and a Cherry Vinaigrette

It's summer and it calls for a cool crunchy yummy salad!! As much as I love salads, I like to vary the veggies/ fruits, crunchy toppings and make my own dressings. It's much better that way I feel...you can cater to your own taste and get a 'feel good' healthy salad for yourself.

This one is perfect to be called 'summer' salad because of it's 'warm' color tones from oranges, cherry tomatoes and red cherry vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

2 cups 'Veggie' salad mix (with variety of lettuces, radish, carrots)

1/4 cup mandarin oranges

1/4 cup whole toasted almonds

few cherry tomatoes

Cherry Vinaigrette dressing:

1tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1tsp Red cherry preserve

1/2tsp Lemon juice

1/4tsp black pepper

1/4tsp dried oregano

salt

Method:

1) Toss all the ingredients for the salad in the salad bowl.

2) Stir together the vinaigrette ingredients.

3) Pour the vinaigrette over the salad just before eating.

Enjoy the crispy-crunchy textures of this 'warm' colored summery salad

Gajar halwa/ Carrot Halwa with Vanilla ice cream

"Beta aaj maine tumhare liye Gajar ka Halwa banaya hai"....a typical old Bollywood movie dialogue. A dessert so typically 'Bollywood' that I actually think...Bollywood moms only knew how to make one dessert....Gajar ka Halwa!!

So...my 'beta' (son) for the past few days has been demanding this dessert....especially with Vanilla ice cream. The combination of warm 'carrotty' halwa melting the cold vanilla ice cream..could be anybodies dream! Can't wait to see his smile when he gets home from school and has his favorite bite:))

Ingredients:
4 Big carrots shredded
1/2 to 3/4 cup Sugar (adjust according to sweetness of the carrots)
1/2 cup Milk powder
1tbsp Ghee/clarified butter
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1 tbsp golden raisins
1 tbsp cashews
2-3 Pistachios sliced for garnish
Silver leaf/ varkha for garnish

Vanilla ice cream

Method:
1) In a pan, heat the ghee. Add the cashews and fry till slightly golden.
2)  Add the shredded carrots and saute for 1 min.
3) Add the sugar,cardamom,nutmeg,raisins and mix. Add the milk powder, mix, and cook till the carrots are cooked.Cover with lid for 2 mins. The milk powder will cook with the liquid from the carrots and turn into something like 'khawa/khoya/ mawa'.
4) Before serving garnish with chopped pistachios.
Serve the warm halwa with cold vanilla ice cream.Enjoy!

Indo-Chinese "American Chopsuey"

Indo- Chinese is one of a kind cuisine! It is nothing like Indian nor authentic Chinese. The dish names ...the flavors...everything is unique. What "American Chopsuey" (similar to Chili mac- macaroni with beef) is to a American, is very different from the Indo-Chinese "American" chopsuey. I have no clue...why the word "american' was in the dish name!! Maybe anything 'american' sounded cool ;) In Pune, I have even had a "American" Shev Batata Dahi Puri!!! Instead of puris, the base was something similar to 'Ritz' crackers.
The Indo-Chinese American chopsuey is a spicy-tangy thick soup with vegetables topped with crunchy fried noodles. There are many variations in this recipe too, depending in which part of India you get it!

 So here goes my recipe for a "Indo-Chinese Vegeterian American ChopSuey":

Ingredients: makes 6-7 servings
1 cup Bean sprouts ( I used caned ones, but fresh are great!)
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/2cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup bamboo shoots (I used caned ones)
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3tbsp  corn starch
2tbsp Light soy sauce
1tbsp Hot and sweet sauce
1tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp Sambal Olek chili paste
1/2tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2tsp oil
salt
Cilantro for garnish
4-5 cups water

"La Choy" Chow mein noodles

Method:
1) Soup: In a large pot, heat 2tsp oil, add the chopped vegetables and saute.Add the ginger garlic paste and the water.
2) Mix the cornstarch into smooth paste in little water. Add to the above pot and stir. Add the sauces,spices salt and stir. Check for seasoning. The soup should be mildly sour and spicy to your taste.
3) Let it boil till it thickens.
4) Serve hot! While serving, place the soup in the serving bowl, top with the crunchy chow mein noodles, cilantro and chopped green onion.

Enjoy a steaming bowl of this spicy-tangy-crunchy bowl of "American Chopsuey" !

Spinach-Corn cheesy 'Biscuit' Oysters/ Foldovers

I love making different shapes out of food.I think it is a 'fun' way to eat and kindles your creativity too!
I have experimented with 'shapes' before, and here a few examples--
Phyllo "Potlis":
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/12/appetizers-phyllo-potlis-with-spiced.html
Pumpkin Shaped Pedhas:
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2012/11/pumpkin-shaped-pedhas.html
Spooky Halloween Pasta:
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2012/10/spooky-halloween-pasta-spaghetti-with.html
Potato balls with Spicy green peas filling:
http://www.my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/12/appetizers-potato-balls-with-spicy.html

 But this time, I am going to be honest....I didn't mean to make them into "Oysters"....I wanted them to be just 'foldovers'. But then, the dough unfolded while baking (probably because I didn't press it hard enough), and Viola....there were these beautiful...Spinach-Corn cheesy Biscuit Oysters!!!

Ingredients: Makes 10 foldovers

1 Can Pillsbury Jr Biscuit
2 cup chopped Spinach
1/2 cup Corn kernels
1/2cup Shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove minced
1tsp olive oil
1/4tsp Red pepper flakes (add more for spicier taste)
1/8tsp ground black pepper
salt
Some all purpose flour
Marinara sauce/ Ketchup/ Maggie hot and sweet sauce


 Method:
1)  Filling: Heat the olive oil, add the garlic and chopped spinach, corn, red pepper flakes and black pepper.Saute till cooked and the water evaporates.Add little salt. Keep aside.Let it cool completely.Add the cheeses and mix.
2) Pre heat the oven to 375F. Spray a cookie sheet with oil spray.
3) Open the biscuit dough can, separate the biscuits. Roll each biscuit in all purpose flour and roll out to make a circle.Place a spoonful of the filling in the center and foldover.

4) Press the edges slightly with a fork till the Foldovers are closed completely.

5) Bake at 375F for 12-14 mins till golden brown

6) Serve hot with your favorite sauce!

Eggless Custard Fruit Tart

A recipe...long due to be written. Finally, here it is!! I never had a 'tart' pan before. The other day at Target...I found this colorful cool looking one! It has a removable bottom...which is perfect!!

So, this tart was going to be a 'dessert' for a friends birthday party...and many of them happen to be 'vegetarian'...and so I was hunting for 'Eggless' Tart recipes.Where else do you find a good baking recipe???....My favorite 'go to' site: www.joyofbaking.com

Shortbread crust:
I baked the crust, just like how they tell to...there is even a video for it. It comes out so buttery and flaky..it will just melt in your mouth!!
The only think I changed was the baking temperature: I baked the crust at 350F for 20-22 mins (The pan had those instructions)
http://www.joyofbaking.com/EasyFruitTartRecipe.html

Custard filling:
This one..I made up.Just like the custard made with 'custard powder', in the 'fruit salad with custard recipe....it is similar ...just needs to be 'thicker'.
 Ingredients:
2 Cups whole milk
4tbsp Custard powder
4tbsp sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
4tbsp cream cheese(optional- if you want a little 'tart' flavor)

Method:
1)Mix the custard powdered with 1/2 cup milk and mix till smooth and all lumps are gone.
2) Heat the remaining milk. When it is warm, slowly add the custard powder mixed with milk.Stir continuously on medium-low flame till it thicken up.
3) Add the sugar and mix.Boil more for couple mins.Stir constantly till thick.Add vanilla extract and mix. Take off the flame. Let it cool completely. Stir after every few mins, when it is cooling.It will thicken more.
4) Meanwhile bring the cream cheese to room temperature.Whisk it into smooth paste.Add to the cooled custard and whisk till well incorporated.
5) Pour the cooled custard into the baked cooled tart. Smoothen it with a spoon. Chill in the refrigerator covered till ready to decorate with fruits.

Fruits: (of your choice. More colorful the better!)
Strawberries
Blueberries
Kiwis
grapes
mandarin oranges
You can decorate the tart in any pattern. Fill the tart with fruits.Do this few hours before ready to serve.Chill in the refrigerator,covered with plastic wrap.

You can glaze the cut up fruit with 'sugar syrup' or apricot/ or any other fruit preserves.This will prevent the fruits from drying up and they will appear fresh for longer!