Asian Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

Soup is a good way to have a healthy , fulfilling meal , it is easy to make too. This is a nice filling soup with asian flavours .It is spicy and sweet and quite aromatic . This is my type of comfort food and I hope You enjoy it too , I got this recipe from a fav cookbook of mine so here goes......

INGREDIENTS

250 gm dried egg noodles soaked in water
500 gms boneless chicken diced
a bunch of spring onions sliced
1 inch pc of ginger chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp thai red curry paste
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 small red capsicum
2 cubes chicken stock with 850 ml water
175 ml coconut milk or 2 tbsp coconut milk powder mixed in 175 ml warm water
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chicken and stir fry for 5 min or till lightly brown.
Add the white part of the spring onions , garlic and ginger and saute for a few min.
Add the stock , coconut milk , curry paste , peanut butter and soy sauce .
Season to taste with salt and pepper .
Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 min stirring occasionally .
Add the pepper , peas and green part of the spring onions and cook for a couple of min .
Drain the noodles and add them to the soup and heat through .
Serve immediately.

Nutella Bread

My name is Shabunam and I am addicted to Nutella and who else is with me . I love , love , absolutely love Nutella and nowadays it's Nutella everywhere. Whenever I make Nutella sandwiches for the kids , I always have a couple of spoonfuls of nutella , I simply cannot resist them . This is a delicious bread with a nutella swirl in it . It is absolutely delicious just hot out of the oven so here goes..............

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of bread four
2-3 tbsp of caster sugar
1 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water
3 heaped tbsp of nutella

METHOD

Mix the flour , salt ,sugar and yeast .
Add the egg , oil and warm water to make a soft pliable dough
Leave to rise for a couple of hours .
Knock back the risen dough and leave to rise for another hour
Roll the dough out and spread nutella on it .
Roll it into a log and put it in a greased loaf tin tucking the sides underneath .
Leave to rise for about half an hour .
Bake in a preheated 200 c oven for about 30-35 min.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Muffins are the most easiest and delicious things to make . It is perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea . These subtly spiced muffins are easy to make and delicious to eat right out of the oven . I got this recipe from a favourite cook book of mine and make it very often . The topping is crisp and the muffins are quite soft so here goes ............

INGREDIENTS

50 gm butter melted
1/2 cup milk
1 egg beaten
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 small apples , peeled , cored and finely chopped

for the topping

12 brown sugar cubes , roughly crushed
1 tsp cinnamon powder

METHOD

In a bowl , mix the egg , sugar , milk and melted butter..
Sift the dry ingredients together and mix it in the bowl taking care not to overmix .
Add the chopped apple and mix roughly
Line six large muffin tin with paper cases
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin .
To make the topping, mix the crushed sugar cubes with the cinnamon.
Sprinkle over uncooked muffins
Bake in a preheated 200 c oven for 30-35 min.

TIP

You can also use light brown sugar instead of the brown sugar cubes.

Chicken Masala

How many of you have just opened the fridge door and stared into it for a long...long....really long time and didn't have a clue what you were doing there in the first place , this dish just came into my mind while staring at the fridge . I just had some chicken breasts in the fridge and some of the usual stuff and tried out this dish , well what do you know it came out delicious . It was easy to prepare and cooked pretty quickly too . This can eaten with chappathis and can also be made into sandwiches too, so here goes.....

INGREDIENTS

500 gm boneless chicken
6 green cardamoms
2 cloves
1 inch pc of cinammon stick
2 bay leaves
3 whole red chillies
2 tsp coriander seeds
saffron  a pinch dissolved in 2 tsp warm milk ( optional)
1 large onion chopped finely
1 large tomato chopped
2 green chillies chopped
ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
2 tbsp oil

METHOD

Heat the oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces on high heat for about 5-6 min and set aside
In the oil add the whole spices and when they start to crackle add chopped onions and saute till brown .
Add ginger and garlic paste and red chilli powder .
Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it turns into a thick paste.
Now add the chicken , green chillies and saute till chicken is cooked .
Add saffron if using any  and stir.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

TIP

Since saffron is very expensive I sometimes make a fake one and it is pretty easy and almost does the work , it is 1/4 tsp of turmeric mixed in  1 tbsp of rosewater and 2 tbsp of milk .

Chocolate Crinkles

I had seen Martha Stewart make these cookies a while ago on her show and it was so delicious to look at that I made it then and there and then made it again maybe once and forgot about it ,so last week I was just looking at a couple of recipes in my diary and came across this one and made it instantly and whoaaaaaaa it was good . The cookies got over within seconds . These are a bit messy to make but it is worth it beacause these are so yummy and so chocolatey , it is just too good so here it is .............

INGREDIENTS

4 oz bittersweet chocolate melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
60 gms unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract/ essence
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup icing sugar or more for rolling

METHOD

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
In a bowl , beat butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy .
Add eggs and vanilla and beat for  a couple of min.
Add melted chocolate.
With the mixer on low speed alternate adding dry ingredients and milk till just combined.
The dough will be very sticky by now so wrap it up in a cling wrap and chill the dough for 2 -3 hrs.
Now remove the chilled dough and divide it into half .
Roll them into two logs and cut of small pieces from these logs and make them into round balls .
If the dough is still sticky wrap up the logs seperately  and chill them for 30 min.
Roll the balls in the icing sugar and place them in a baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake them in a preheated 180 c oven for about 12-15 min.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is another favourite in my house (  we have many favourites). It is a comforting soup especially when you have the sniffles . I think many people will agree with me when I say that it is quite tough to peel a butternut squash , but here I don't peel them . I just roast them in the oven and scoop it out with a spoon . It is quite easy to make this soup . This soup is a little bit spicy because of the cayenne pepper in it but you can omit it if you want  .

 INGREDIENTS

1 medium butternut squash cut into half
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
3 cups water
2 chicken stock cubes
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1and 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 triangles of cream cheese

METHOD

Cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Drizzle olive oil over them and season them with salt and pepper and lay them flesh side down on a roasting sheet and bake them in a 180c oven for about 30-40 min.
In a saucepan add a tbsp of olive oil , in it add the onions and garlic and saute it for a few min. 
Scoop the squash with a spoon and add it in the pan.
Add the water and the stock cubes and bring it to a boil.
Turn the heat low and add the spices and simmer gently for about 5 min .
Turn off the heat and put the mixture in a blender and add the cheese .
Blend it till smooth .
Add a little milk or water if it is too thick .
Serve hot.

Veggie Bake

This dish is a favourite of my kids and hubby too . This is the only way I can get my kids especially my son to eat his vegetables . This is quite a flavourful dish and very easy to make too . I make this very often due to popular demand and by this you can imagine how good it is as kids are asking for it . It is just a handful of veggies sauteed in oil and baked in a creamy white sauce so here goes..........

INGREDIENTS

1 medium broccoli cut into florets
1 medium potato diced
500 gms button mushrooms quartered
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce

2 tbsp butter
1and 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 medium sized onion
1 bayleaf
2 cloves
2 cups milk
a pinch of nutmeg
2 cheese slices

METHOD

In a pan heat the oil and add the garlic along with the vegetables and saute it for a couple of min
Season them with salt and pepper.
Transfer the contents to a baking dish .
Peel the onion , wrap a bayleaf around it studding it with cloves .
Bring the milk to boil with the studded onion and discard it once the milk has been boiling for a min.
In a saucepan melt the butter , add the flour and cook it on low heat .
Now add the milk and stir it continuously so as not to get lumps in it .
Simmer gently for a couple of min.
Add the nutmeg and turn off the heat.
Now add the cheese slices and stir it .
Pour this mixture onto the vegetables and bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 30-40 min.

Mini Tuna Melts

I just love tuna melts , though it is not a very healthy sandwich . My resolution for this year ( continuing for the past 2-3 yrs ) is to eat healthy so I thought I will eat unhealthy in small doses and I made these mini tuna melts ( which I ended up eating as many as one whole sandwich) . These mini sandwiches are just  creamy  and gooey and yummmmmm so here goes.......

INGREDIENTS

5 small dinner rolls halved
1 can tuna drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp chopped celery
half an onion finely chopped
3-4 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
pepper to taste

METHOD

In a bowl mix together tuna , dill , celery and onion.
Add the mayonnaise and the cheddar cheese and pepper to taste and mix it all up .
Puy this mixture on the sliced dinner rolls and bake it in  a 180 oven for 10-12 min or till the cheese melts .

Mini Omlette Burger

I love to try out the miniature versions of food and doesn't it taste better when it is just bite size. This is a minitaure verion of the typical mushroom and cheese omlette and I serve these  on dinner rolls . It is very easy to make and most importantly very easy to eat and above all that, it looks quite cute too , remember we always eat with our eyes first . This one is a big hit in my house so here goes,

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
12 dinner rolls
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of chopped button mushrooms sauteed in a little oil
1 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
lettuce (optional)
Butter

METHOD

In a bowl add the eggs , milk and seasoning and whisk it well .
Now add in the sauteed mushrooms and chopped parsley and mix it all up .
Grease a mini muffin pan and pour the egg mix in it .
Add some grated cheddar cheese on top .
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 15 -20 min or till the eggs are set .
Slice the rolls in half and spread butter on it and toast them .
Spread mayonnaise on the slices , add a small piece of letttuce if using any then add the mini omlette and serve hot .

NOTE

You can add any veggies of your choice in the omlette . This yields about 12 mini omlettes.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

Last night I had the whole house to myself , so decided to take a leisurely bath to really relax and boy was I wrong about that . I prepared the bath , lit candles all around and had the sweet smelling lavender oil in the burner and was really happy with the preparation , so I slid into the warm bath with light music playing in the background and was so happy that atleast this time I can really relax without anybody calling out for me . I was just settling in nicely then suddenly  something in the reflection of the tile caught my eye , but I dismissed it thinking my mind was playing tricks on me  but then there it was again and to my horror I found out that my hair was on fire and to make matters worse my back got sprained  due to the sudden movement I made to put out the fire .
 The fire was out now and thankfully it was not that bad but now my back was hurting so bad and sadly there was no one in the house to help me out of the tub , I sat still for a while and slowly the agonizing pain subsided and   made it out of the tub.
As I unplugged the drain my relaxing evening went down it along with the bath water.After this ordeal the only saving grace of the day was the soup I had made and I really needed the warm comforting soup to calm my nerves.
This is a rich , creamy and comforting soup , just perfect for relaxing so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

2 large green zucchini
1 large onion sliced
2 cubes of chicken stock
2-3 garlic cloves chopped
2-3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
100 gms cream cheese

METHOD

Heat a tbsp of oil in a deep pan and add the sliced onions and the zuchinni and the garlic and saute it for a few min.
Add the stock cubes and the water and bring it to boil and then simmer it on low heat till done .
Now transfer it in a blender and blend it smoothly .
Add the cheese  and blend it again .
Pour it back in the saucepan and season it with salt and pepper and serve hot.

NOTE

I use the triangle packed cream cheese , it tastes really good 4 or 5 of those would be enough for this soup , but you can use what you prefer and take care while putting salt because this suop gets it's salt from the stock and cheese.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Tiramisu is my most favorite dessert , I just love Tiramisu , I feel it is one decadent , melt-in-your-mouth delicacy and this cupcake is based on just that . Here the cupcakes are soaked in strong black coffee and topped of with the mascarapone and whipping cream mix and it tastes absolutely delicious. Now , this is one of my favourite cupcake flavours and it is even better to make small mini muffins , yummmmmm bite sized delicacies , so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

1 Vanilla Cupcakes recipe
1 cup strong black cofee sweetened according to taste
1 cup whipping cream
150 ml masacarapone cheese
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
cocoa powder for dusting

METHOD

Pour 2-3 tbsp of coffee on the prepared cupcakes and chill them .
Whip the cream till stiff
Mix the mascarapone cheese and sugar together.
Fold the whipped cream into the cheese.
Pipe the cream mix into swirls  onto the cupcakes and dust the tops with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.
Chill them well before serving.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Happy new year everyone , thought I would start off the new year with something simple as vanilla cupcakes. I really hate those really dense heavy cakes and have been searching and trying for a nice moist fluffy vanilla cake and this recipe really is all that . It is moist , fluffy and not overly sweet and above all easy to make so here goes.....

INGREDIENTS

100 gms unsalted butter room temp

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1and 3/4 tsp baking powder

1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

METHOD

Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy

Add in the vanilla essence and the eggs .

Mix the dry ingredients together and add it in the mix

Lastly add in the milk .

Bake in a preheated  180 c oven for 15- 20 min.

NOTE

Beat the butter and sugar really well , then only you will get a nice fluffy cake . This recipe yeilds about 10 large cupcakes or two 8 inch sandwich cake tins . For the cupcakes bake it about 15-20 min . and for the cakes about 25 - 40 min.