Butter Mushroom Noodles

Aren't there days when you don't want to cook but also don't want anything from out ??? Well I almost always have days like this , this recipe came about from a day like that . Like Julia Child's quote ' You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces , just good food from fresh ingredients .' Isn't that true . With just a few ingredients , here is a nice aromatic , flavourful dish for those lazy days .........

INGREDIENTS

350 gms fettuccine
250 gms mushrooms sliced
75 gms butter
2 dried red chilies
5-6 garlic cloves minced
a handful of parsley chopped finely
zest and juice of half a lemon
salt & pepper for seasoning
Parmesan grated

METHOD

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in salted boiling water . Reserve a cup of the pasta water .
Now in a saucepan , melt the butter on low heat and add the red chillies just to infuse it .
Discard the red chillies and add in the mushrooms and garlic and saute for a couple of min .
Turn off the heat and add in the zest and juice of the lemon , parsley and the noodles and toss it .
Season with salt and pepper and add in the pasta water if the sauce seems dry .
Grate parmesan on top and enjoy :D.

Decadent Chocolate Loaf

Before the world ends I though that I would get in a post ;) . This has one of my favourite ingredient Chocolate . This is a very rich , decadent , moist , intense chocolate cake . It will just melt in your mouth . Seasons Greetings to all of you out there and here goes...............

INGREDIENTS

200 gms butter ( room temp )
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup caster sugar
100 gms dark chocolate melted
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee
1 cup chocolate chips ( optional)


METHOD

Cream the butter and sugars till pale and fluffy .
Add in the egg one at a time and beat well .
Add in the vanilla .
Sift all the dry ingredients together .
Mix the coffee and the dry ingredients alternately ending with the dry .
Grease or line a medium loaf tin .
Pour the batter in the tin and add the chocolate chips if using any on top and bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 40-45 min or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean .
Cool on a wire rack .
Top it with ganache if you like an make it more chocolatey :D

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookie

The hubby and the kids are big cookie lovers , their fav is chocolate chip , but I was bored of making them so I thought of putting in a bit of Nutella into the batter ( more of it went into me ;p ), I love... love.... love Nutella , I simply cannot  resist them so I only bought a  small bottle of it to use it for the cookie . I gotta tell you the cookie dough was more delicious than the cookie itself . The hubby and kids gave it a big thumbs up so here goes..........

INGREDIENTS 

200 gms butter room temp 

1/2 cup caster sugar 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 eggs 

2 and 1/2 cups of all- purpose flour 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/3 cup Nutella

1 cup or more chocolate chips 

METHOD 

Cream the butter , sugars and vanilla essence till light and fluffy .

Add in the eggs one at a time and beat well 

Sift the dry ingredients together and fold it in .

Fold in the nutella  and the chocolate chips .

Chill the mix in the fridge for an hour .

Roll the dough into medium sized balls and place it 2-3 inches apart in the a lined baking sheet .

Bake it in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-23 min .

Pistachio Cupcakes with Rose Cream Frosting

So many festivals are around the corner this month so what better way to celebrate with a cupcake . I had made these weeks back but didn't have time to put this up . These are really delicious , exotic cupcakes perfect for any occasion . The cake is very buttery and crumbly and the cream is just to die for . I would be happy to just eat the cream ;). Eid Mubarak and Happy Diwali to all , here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

150 gms butter (room temp)

1 and 1/4 cup caster sugar 

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla 

1 tsp almond essence 

1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup whole pistachios ground to fine powder

1 and 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup milk 

a few drops of green coloring ( optional)

for the syrup 

1 and 1/2 cup water 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 cardamom pods crushed 

1 tbsp rose water

for the frosting 

250 ml whipping cream 

1/4 cup icing sugar 

1 tbsp rose water 

A few rose petals for garnish 

METHOD 

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy .

Add in the eggs and beat well .

Add in the vanilla and almond .

Meanwhile sift all the dry ingredients together .

Mix the green food coloring if using in the milk .

Now add the wet and dry mixture alternately to the batter ending with the dry ingredient.

Line a 10 pc muffin pan and pour the batter into it . 

Bake in  a preheated 180 c oven for about 20-25 min or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean .

Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack .

Now for the syrup , mix all the ingredients and bring it to boil till the sugar dissolves completely .

Now spoon this syrup over the cupcakes and chill it . 

For the frosting , add all the ingredients and whip it till stiff peak forms .

Swirl the cream onto the cupcake .

Garnish with rose petals and enjoy :D.

Mom's Tea Cake

OMG!!! how time flies , it's been more than a month since I last posted . There is so much to do in so little time . I have neglected my blog for too long now but not anymore ( I hope ). This is something my mom used to make when we were little . It is just the most aromatic , fluffy , buttery cake . She used to  make it most of the time and the best part was the aroma that wafted around the house . Its got very few ingredients so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

200 gms butter  ( room temp )
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar well till pale and fluffy .
Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat really well.
Sift the dry ingredients together and add itin two parts and mix well .
Bake in a medium loaf tin in a preheated 180 c oven for about 45 min or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean .
Cool out on a wire rack .

Lemon Yoghurt Cake with Lemon Basil Syrup

Every time  a new year begins , I always wonder whether that year will be happy or crappy .Well so far, its been a teeny bit of happy and a bucket load of crappy and at the rate it's going it seems the bucket is going to overflow . The only way I find my worries melting is by baking cakes , which I haven't done lately .So to make up for my happy , I decided to make one .This is a simple lemon yoghurt cake with lemon basil syrup .It's a very moist and zest cake and I hope you guys like it , so here goes..............

INGREDIENTS

150 gms butter room temp
1 and 1/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 and 3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/4 cup milk
zest and juice of a lemon

for the syrup 

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
zest and juice of a lemon
a handful of basil chopped

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy .
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well .
Sift the dry ingredients together .
Mix the yoghurt and milk .
Now add the wet and dry ingredients to the batter ending with the dry .
Stir in the zest and juice of a lemon .
Grease and flour a bundt pan and add the batter in it .
Bake in a prehated 180 c oven for about 30-35 min .
For the syrup add all the ingrdients except for the basil in a saucepan and bring it to boil .
turn off the heat and add the basil .
Cool the cake and pour syurp over it and garnish with extra basil leaves .
Serve and enjoy .

Cheesy Potato Bites

Hey all , it's been one  hectic and busy month with house guest , chores , chores and more chores , didn't have time to post anything . It was fun though and for all my well wishers out there I want to let you guys know that I have lost a teeny bit , well something is better than nothing right ( I am a positive person ;p) . The recipe I am posting today is something my kids love and I am sure most of the kids love . It's really easy to make so her goes..........

INGREDIENTS 

2 large potatoes 

1 tbsp plain flour

2 -3 tbsp milk 

2 tbsp butter 

salt and pepper to taste 

100 gms of mature cheddar cheese cubed 

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp dried mixed herbs 

salt to taste 

1 egg mixed with a little water to make eggwash 

oil for frying 

METHOD

Microwave the potatoes on high for 5 min and then turn the potatoes and microwave on high for 5 min.
Now remove the skin and mash the potatoes and add the butter , milk , 1 tbsp flour and seasoning .
Now make small balls of the mashed potatoes , flatten it in your palm , add the cubed cheese and roll it into a small ball .
In a bowl , combine the flour , mixed herbs and salt .
Dip the potato balls in the flour mix , dust off excess , dip it in the egg wash and then the panko breadcrumbs .
You can make 12 - 18 pieces .
Now pop it in the fridge for half hour .
Deep fry it in hot oil and serve and enjoy .