Vanilla Cupcakes with Fluffy White Buttercream

Butter 125 grams

Milk 3/4 cup

Eggs 3

Vanilla essence 1 tablespoon

Sugar 250 grams

Flour 235 grams

Baking Powder 3 teaspoons

Sift flour and baking powder twice.  Melt butter over heat with milk and cool to room temperature.  Beat eggs till creamy; gradually add sugar.  Then add butter mixture and flour in small quantities till all is incorporated.

Pour into cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 minutes @ 170 deg. C.

For Fluffy White Icing

1/2 cup white shortening

2 sticks (226 grams) butter

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 tsp vanilla powder or essence

4 cups icing sugar (well sifted)

2 tablespoons cornsyrup

Beat butter and shortening together. Add milk and vanilla essence and icing sugar.  Continue beating till cream is all fluffy…add corn syrup at the end.  Decorate cupcakes.

Tomato Stuffed Egg Omlette

Darren, my 2nd son, loves this.  When he comes home for vacation the first thing he wants is a Tomato Stuffed Egg Omlette; and it does not have to be only for breakfast.   He even tried to do it himself but ends up saying; “Mom no one can do it like you”; which is a big compliment.  He loves it liberally sprinkled with cheese;  whereas Devon wants it minus the cheese but likes it sprinkled with sausages. 

Here is the recipe :-

3 eggs whisked…(when done add salt)

butter

Tomatoes – 3 chopped fine

onion -1 chopped fine

oregano

Pepper

1 clove garlic – mashed

salt to taste

coriander leaves

cheese

Take a shallow frying pan…add a dollop of butter and saute the garlic, then the onion and add the tomatoes and saute for a minute.  Do not let them become pulp but let them be just lightly sauteed.  Remove in a separate dish..sprinkle with a dash of salt, oregano, and few corriander leaves.

In the same pan, (make the fire very slow) pour the whisked egg and spread it aroud.  Gently beat with a fork as it is on the slow fire taking care not to scrape the pan at the bottom.  The egg then gets nice and fluffy and soft.  Do When you see that the egg is geting set…sprinkle cheese & pepper all over ; add the tomato stuffing on one side ..sprinkle corriander leaves and with the help of a ladle fold half of the egg  over it.  Gently slide it on to a plate.  Eat hot.

Coffee n Chocolate Cupcakes

I made these Cupcakes for our Gavel Club kids and they all loved them.  If  I had time I would have liked some coffee  buttercream on top; but I was in a hurry that day and strawberries was the quickest way .

1-3/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup corn oil

1/2 to 3/4 cup coffee

Preheat over to 170 deg. C.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Add to wet ingredients one at a time till well mixed.

Pour into cupcake cases – bake for 20-25 minutes till done.  Decorate with stawberries or coffee buttercream.

Peach Salsa

I love the velvety red and yellow skin of peaches and if I am out on my rare grocery shopping jaunt,  you can bet your last dollar that I will be back with a few Peaches.  

Here is a recipe for a Peach Salsa, which is a hot favourite of mine.

4-5  Peaches cubed – with skin off.

1 chopped onion

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red pepper deseeded and cubed

1 tablesppon fresh coriander leaves

1/2 tsp sugar

1 green chillie chopped

1 clove garlic…finely minced.

In a medium mixing bowl put all the ingredients.  Toss gently so that all ingredients are thorougly mixed.  Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Spicy Beef

1 Kg beef cut into cubes or long strips

8 big onions sliced

1 pod garlic

4” ginger

3 green chillies

2 tablespoons jeera

2-3 sticks cinnamon

8 cloves

4 cardamoms

8 peppercorns

2 tablespoons chilli powder

1-1/2 cup curds

½ cup water

Bay leaf

Salt to taste

Powder fine in dry grinder the jeera, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, peppercorns and chilli powder and turmeric.

Grind together in blender the garlic, ginger, green chillies.

Slice onions and keep aside.

Put some oil in a non-stick vessel and fry the beef  (till the water left behind has evaporated)in small batches and remove, cover and keep aside.

In the same oil add bay leaf and stir then add the onions and fry till brown.  Add the ginger/garlic/green chili paste.   Then add the ground dry powders (jeera, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper corns, chilly & turmeric powder).  Add the meat along with any oil & water and fry till oil separates.  Add salt and curd (2 tablespoons at a time) till it is all incorporated.  Add ½ cup water and cook till the beef is cooked.  If you have tender beef, it will cook after it is fried..so no need to add more water.  Check and add water only if needed.

This is a dish with thick gravy…so if too much water is added, keep on slow fire till the gravy is thick.

 Serve with roti or  bread.

Traditional Pavlova

A dessert surrounded in controversy, the creation and naming of the Pavlova is claimed by both Australia and New Zealand. In both countries there is history of a meringue dessert topped with cream and fruit and both claim to have named this dessert after Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian ballerina after her tours of the region in 1926 and 1929. Australia and New Zealand are rivals in many areas and the Pavlova debate is just one of many subjects where the two countries reluctantly agree to disagree.

For those who have never experienced a Pavlova,  it is a large meringue dessert  that is crisp on the outside with a soft, marshmallow-like centre. It is topped with whipped cream and soft fruits and is a standard summer dessert in both countries.

Considering that I have a few close friends in Australia,  I say that this is an Australian Dessert…please try it,  it is easy, melt-in-the-mouth type and of course YUMMY !!!

Recipe for Pavlova

5 egg whites
pinch salt
220 grms castor sugar/sugar (equal parts)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 level teaspoons cornflour

Preheat oven to 400F(200C).
Lightly grease oven tray, line with baking paper or use non-stick cooking spray.

Beat the whites of eggs with a pinch of salt until stiff (until peaks form).
Continue beating, gradually adding sugar, vinegar and vanilla, until of thick consistency.
Lightly fold in cornflour.

Pile mixture into circular shape, making hollow in centre for filling.
(Mixture will swell during cooking)

Electric oven: turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours.
Turn oven off, leave pavlova in oven until cool.

Top with whipped cream and decorate with fruit as desired.

Kidney Beans, Peppers and Peas Fried Rice

Whenever am in a good mood (which is very rare ! );  I love to try dishes that are colourful.  I saw these  red, orange, yellow and maroon peppers packed together and they talked to me and said “Pick Me Up”;  which I did.  Unfortunately,  I could not find a green pepper and then remembered that I had green-peas in my freezer. So here you are…try out this colourful rice..its easy, fast and delicious.

Ingredients needed

3-4 different coloured peppers

green peas

kidney beans (i used a tin of cooked kidney beans)

2 cups of cooked long grain rice

1 lemon

Little butter or oil

Mustard seeds

1 onion

1 green chilly

2-3 curry leaves

few coriander leaves.

Put oil or butter in a vessel.  Add mustard seeds and after they splutter, add curry leaves and green chilly and onion.   Add the peppers and fry for two/three minutes, then add peas and kidney beans, stir fry for 2 minutes.   Add rice and stir for sometime taking care not to break the grains.  Add lemon juice.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

 

Mini Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

 I must confess that I have a soft-corner for all things ‘berries’, so when I saw these Blueberries, I had to buy them even though they cost me a bomb.  I made a blueberry sauce with some of the berries and then thought that making mini-pancakes would be a good idea.  I topped the pancakes with a little cream cheese mixture.

My son loved them and said that he could eat them for dessert AND breakfast! Mmmmm …

Below are the three recipes, but don’t be daunted. They are all very easy, trust me.

Blueberry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tbsp lemon juice

 Cook all above in a non-stick saucepan stirring every now and then.   Cook till the blueberries are mushy and soft and form a shiny sauce.

 Cream Cheese Mixture
- 200g Cream Cheese
- 40g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- dash of milk

 

Whisk all together 

 Mini Pancakes
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 tablespoons corn flour

- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar

1. In a bowl, sift the flour, sugar and baking powder;
2. Pour the milk in a bowl; gradually add the flour, sugar and baking powder mixture and mix with a wire whisk..

3. the consistency should be a little thicker than a crêpe batter. If the batter is too thick, add a little milk. Do not let it rest.

4. Heat a small non-stick frying pan.  Smear with oil or butter.  Place small round of batter to form a circle.  As it cooks, tiny holes will form.   Cover and cook till the batter is cooked and you do not see any wet batter on the surface.   It is not necessary to  flip it.

When they are still warm, pinch one end to form a petal-shape.  Fill with cream cheese mixture and top with blueberry sauce.  Decorate with blueberries.