Tag Archives: Sunday

Easy Caramel Custard

This one’s hands down, one of the simplest, can’t-go-wrong desserts! It’s simple, basic, uses 4 everyday ingredients and goes down well on hot summer days or cool winter afternoons. Give it a go if you’ve got time on your hand!
“Life’s too short! Just buy those shoes, drink that wine and eat that caramel custard
The Fact: Caramel custard is known by different names around the world; notably, ‘crème caramel’ or ‘crème renversée au caramel’ in France and most of Europe, ‘flan’ in Spain (where it originated), ‘crema caramella’ in Italy and ‘purin’ in Japan. It’s easy to confuse this dessert with crème brûlée (a variant of the dessert with a hard caramel top), which seems pretty similar, but isn’t.
The Inspiration: One Sunday afternoon, the husband and I got into one of those random, benign discussions-turned-arguments, which most couples have probably encountered… you know the one about whose turn it is to make breakfast. When these post-argument silences kick in, I’ve noticed that my almost-immediate reaction is to jump into the kitchen and whip up a dessert that’s been on my mind. And though the objective is always to eat most of it and just find bliss, it somehow finds its way to the husband’s stomach and suddenly all is forgotten and everyone lives happily ever after! That’s just what happened a few weeks ago and voila, there was caramel custard in the house… 😉

The Ingredients

Makes about one 10×10″ baking dish of dessert

  • 2/3rd + ½ cup sugar
  • 2 ½ cups milk (I used whole milk. You can substitute 1 cup with fresh cream for a richer dessert)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod
  • Optional: 2 – 3 pepper corns

The Method

Setting the caramel

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.

Place 2/3rd cup of sugar in a skillet or any thick-bottomed pan. Heat the pan on slow to medium heat (not on high because sugar burns quite quickly). Leave undisturbed (or swirl but don’t stir) as the sugar melts. This ensures that the sugar melts evenly and the caramel develops an even colour. However, if you’re running low on patience (or if you want a lighter colour), add a tablespoon or two of water to get the sugar to start caramelizing faster.

Once the sugar has fully caramelized and has developed that deep brown colour, remove from heat and pour directly into a baking dish or into individual ramekins. Swirl the dish/ramekins to evenly coat the bottom with the caramel. Also make sure you hurry with this process because the caramel will start to harden, after which it doesn’t flow easily.

Leave aside to cool.

Setting the caramel for caramel custard

Notice the height of the caramel in the baking dish in this image:

Caramel set aside to harden for caramel custard

Making the custard

Microwave or heat the milk in a saucepan on medium heat. If you’re using fresh milk, make sure you boil it well and then leave it to cool a little. If you’re using pre-boiled milk, simply heat it up, but do not boil it.

If you’re using vanilla bean instead of vanilla essence, add it in to the milk at this point to extract its flavor. I also threw in 2 – 3 pepper corns for added flavor.

Set aside to cool.

The milk and vanilla set aside to cool for caramel custard

Next, break the eggs in a separate bowl. I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract to it as well.

Eggs for caramel custard

Beat the eggs with the remaining ½ cup of sugar. When it’s light and foamy, add the warm milk to the eggs in a thin, steady stream. If your milk is too hot at this point, your eggs will scramble; you do not want this to happen.

If you’re using vanilla essence, add it in now and stir gently to incorporate everything.

Strain the custard.

Assembling and baking the dessert

Make a water bath: Take a tray that’s bigger and wider than the baking dish in which you’ve set the caramel. The tray should also have high sides. Fill the tray with about 1” of hot water. Place the baking dish/ramekins with the set caramel into the water bath. Make sure that the hot water level in the tray is not so high that it spills into the baking dish; so adjust the water level accordingly. Remember that the water bath is used to prevent burning and to ensure even cooking.

Caramel set and placed in a water bath for caramel custard

Check to see that your caramel is set or is hard to touch. By now, it should be. Now, gently pour the strained custard mixture into the baking dish (not the water bath tray), over the set caramel. Place the water bath containing the baking dish in the oven.

Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes at 180C or 350F, or until the centre of the custard is firm but slightly wobbly. Don’t overcook the dessert or you’ll end up with tough custard instead of a silky, tender one.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Serving the dessert

Caramel custard is best eaten chilled. However, if you want to serve it warm, place the baking dish/ramekins in a cold water bath for about 10 minutes. Always make sure that the water level of the water bath is lower than the rim of your baking dish. Now, run a knife between the custard and edges of the dish/ramekins. Place the serving dish/dishes upside down over the baking dish/ramekins and quickly flip the two. Serve upturned with the caramel side up. The caramel will have turned into a delicious syrupy glaze.

Caramel custard

If you’re serving the dessert chilled, allow the baking dish to cool before refrigerating it. Refrigerate for a few hours until it has chilled completely. Serve by running a knife between the custard and edges of the dish/ramekins and then flipping the dessert onto the serving dishes, with the caramel side up.

Caramel custard

For an extra treat, serve with fruit or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Bon appétit! 🙂

 

Chicken/Beef Cutlets

A perfect crust and a warm mushy inside, pan fried in 3 minutes… for those days when you need a break from the kitchen!
“Your veal cutlet gets up off the plate, It walks down to end of the counter and beat the shit out of my cup of coffee. I guess the coffee just wasn’t strong enough to defend itself. – Tom Waits, American actor and composer”
The Fact: The word ‘cutlet’ originates from the French word côtelette. It finds itself in the European wiener schnitzel, the Japanese katsu and even in the Russian chicken kiev. In most cuisines, a cutlet is a thin slice of veal, pork, or mutton, run through flour, egg and bread crumbs and then fried in a pan. In the Indian sub-continent, however, cutlets originated to ensure that food never went to waste. Left over bits of meat and vegetable were shaped into patties, spiced up, rolled in breadcrumbs, fried and then served as entrees or snacks.
The Inspiration: Much like the fact above, I’ve grown up eating the Indian-style cutlet, which allowed my mother to throw in absolutely anything we had left over from the previous day. But on most other days, her mince cutlets were the yummiest appetizers or sides we looked forward to, especially when the meal was a simple daal and rice. When I got married, my mother in law kept the trend alive. I… I’m simply furthering tradition… and of course, on days when you need a break from the kitchen, these cutlets, which I keep frozen in my refrigerator, are your dream come true!

The Ingredients

Makes about 15 – 20 patties/cutlets

  • 500 gm chicken or beef mince
  • ½ bunch of coriander leaves; finely chopped
  • 20 mint leaves; finely chopped
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 1 medium-sized tomato
  • 2 – 3 medium spicy green chillies
  • 1 heaped tsp ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp dhania or coriander seeds powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric or haldi powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp kanda lassoon masala (optional)
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 slices of dry bread
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs or semolina (rawa)
  • 2 tsp salt

The Method

Making the cutlets

  1. Wash the mince and transfer it to a bowl. Do not drain in a colander.
    Mince meat
  2. Sprinkle 1.5 tsp salt, the finely chopped coriander leaves and the finely chopped mint leaves over the mince. Mix well and keep aside.
  3. Chop the onion, tomato and green chillies into large bits and blitz them with 2 – 3 tbsp of water for a few seconds. How fine you blitz the mixture depends on whether you want your cutlets smooth and pasty or with fine bits of onions and tomatoes to bite into. I personally prefer the non-pasty cutlets and so blitz the ingredients for only a few seconds.
  4. Next, heat a skillet on medium flame. Add 2 tbsp of oil to it and allow the oil to heat up (not until it reaches smoking point, but just before that). Once hot, add the blitzed onion, tomato and green chilli mixture to the skillet and lightly fry for about 2 minutes.
  5. Create a well in the centre of the skillet. In this hot part of the skillet, add the ginger garlic paste, haldi/turmeric powder, dhania powder, red chilli powder, kanda lasoon masala, and sugar. Fry the spices in the hot centre of the skillet to enhance their flavours and then, mix the spices with the blitzed onion and tomato mixture. Add the remaining ½ tsp of salt and fry again. Do not burn or over-fry the spices at this point.
  6. Next, add the mince to the skillet, once again in the centre of the skillet, to fry off that raw meat smell. After a couple of minutes and once you can no longer smell the meat, mix the rest of the mixture with the mince thoroughly.
  7. If using chicken mince: Allow the mixture to fry for about 2 minutes. Add a cup of water, stir well and cook on high flame for about 3 minutes. Then, simmer and cook until the water dries up completely, while stirring from time to time.
    If using beef mince: Allow the mixture to fry for about 5 – 7 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and allow to cook on high flame for about 5 minutes. Then, simmer and cook until the water dries up completely, while stirring from time to time.
  8. As the mince cooks, soak 2 slices of bread in a little water – just enough water to completely soak the bread and make it pasty.
  9. Making the cutlets
    Once the mince has dried, cool it. Add in the soaked bread and mash it up with the mince. The bread helps to give the cutlets structure and bind them. Make small balls until you’ve used up all of the mince mixture. The size of the balls can vary based on your preference.
    Mince balls for cutlets
    Roll the mince balls in rawa or bread crumbs sprinkled on a dry plate.
    Coating the mince balls with rawa (semolina)/bread crumbs before frying
    Flatten the balls and smoothen out the edges.
    Flattening the coated cutlet balls
    I use the broad end of the knife to flatten the balls and then smoothen out the edges by rotating the cutlet on its flat side between the knife and the palm of my other hand.
    Coated chicken/beef mince cutlets before frying
    You’re cutlets are ready! Fry them to eat them right away or place them in a box and freeze them for later use.
    Coated chicken/beef mince cutlets for freezing before frying
  10. Frying the cutlets
    Remember that your cutlets have already cooked. All you want now is a lovely golden crisp outside. Remember that if your cutlets are frozen, thaw them for about 10 minutes before frying them. Heat a frying pan with 2 – 3 tbsp of oil. Don’t let the oil smoke. Place the cutlets in the frying pan and allow them to sizzle for a minute or two on a high flame. Then, turn down the gas to a medium flame and cook for another couple of minutes.
    Mince meat cutlets frying
    Flip the cutlet and allow the other side to brown in the same way.
    Mince meat cutlets frying
    Remove the cutlets and place them on a kitchen towel or on kitchen paper and serve hot. You can eat these cutlets as a snack with tomato ketchup or green chutney, or can serve it as appetizers before the main meal. You can also serve these as sides with a simple meal of daal and rice.Mince meat cutlets ready to serve
    Bon appétit!

 

A Couple of Cream Cheese Frostings

I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂

 

“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly buy you a cupcake with cream cheese frosting – Me 🙂 
The Fact: Neufchatel cheese, the inspiration for conventional block cream cheese, originated in France in the 1500s. In 1872, William Chester, a New York dairyman, accidentally discovered a cheese making method that produced a creamy mild cheese while trying to duplicate the French Neufchatel recipe. He sold it as ‘cream cheese’ to the Empire Cheese Company, who in turn marketed it under the ‘Philadelphia’ brand.
The Inspiration: Who doesn’t like cream cheese? It’s the perfect in between for those who don’t quite get the cheese frenzy and think cream’s too fatty and tasteless to be loved as much. As for me … I love the soft, almost-smotherable, velvety-smooth texture and the lightly salted flavor of the cheese. But then I also love cream and cheese, independently, just as much.
I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad 🙂 The cream cheese in my home goes into cake and cupcake frostings more often than not. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂 

Plain Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting has a more distinctive tang than the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting recipe I share below, simply because it uses pure cream cheese and whipped cream. It’s wickedly delicious, less sweet and works better with cakes in general, where you want the cake to carry the main flavor and the frosting to complement it; for example, red velvet cake or carrot cake. This frosting is also relatively stable and forms firmer and steadier peaks and swirls than the second frosting recipe on the blog, below. Since this frosting uses whipped cream, it’s less stable outdoors and in the heat for long hours.

Carrot cake with plain cream cheese frosting

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 cupcakes

  • 227 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 70 – 80 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
  • 160 ml heavy whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
    Cream cheese being beaten
  2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and on slow speed, beat in the sugar until it’s smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
    Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

    Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

  3. Add the cold whipping cream and whisk on high speed, until the frosting is thick and stiff peaks are formed. It should take no more than a few minutes. If it’s not yet stiff, add more sugar, tablespoon at a time. Remember that the temperature and brand of whipping cream is very important. The cream has to be absolutely cold, preferably being beaten in a chilled bowl. It should also be a brand you’ve tried and tested before. If it’s one that doesn’t form peaks easily, beat it separately and fold it into the cream cheese and sugar mixture.
    Cream cheese frosting

Notes:

  • It’s the icing sugar and the whipping cream that gives this frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of the sugar, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you what to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar and stiffer whipped cream. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
  • If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing outdoors or in the heat for a while, avoid this frosting because it won’t hold too long in heat.
  • Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

 

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Use this frosting when you want the frosting itself to be your highlight—sweet, yummy and addictive, like in most cupcakes. This one has a wicked taste and texture. It also pipes softer peaks and swirls and is easier to handle compared to the frosting above, simply because of its higher butter content, because of which it won’t last too long in the heat; however it can stand for hours at room temperature or in a relatively cool place because the frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.

Cupcake with cream cheese buttercream frosting

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 – 20 cupcakes

  • 113 gms butter (softened at room temperature)
  • 113 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 240 – 270 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
  • Optional: 1 – 2 tbsp whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
    Whisking the butter until soft
  2. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and continue to beat until the entire mixture is smooth and you can no longer differentiate between the butter and the cream cheese.
    Cream cheese being beaten
  3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat on high for a little less than a minute. Then, on low speed (stir speed), beat in the confectioners’ sugar until well combined.Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

    Butter, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar scraped down

  4. Once you’re sure of the sweetness and stiffness, beat the frosting on high speed for about 2 minutes. At this point, the frosting should no longer feel grainy. It should be fully incorporated. If you need the frosting to be stiffer than what it is, add more icing sugar by the tablespoon. Alternatively, you can also add 1 – 2 tablespoons of whipping cream.
    Cream cheese buttercream frosting

Notes:

  • It’s the icing sugar that gives the frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of it, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you want to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
  • If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing in the heat for a while, avoid frosting altogether because it won’t hold too long. However, if your cakes/cupcakes will be standing in a relatively cool place, they will last for hours because this frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.
  • Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

 

Classic French Toast

Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that are the hardest to do! Think about it—whipping up an egg until the peaks are stiff, making an omelette and flipping it perfectly, kneading the dough… And so, it occurred to me to dedicate some articles to the ‘simple’ things … things easy enough for the untrained husband or kids to do.

 

“I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any time’. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance. – Steven Wright
The Fact: Contrary to popular belief, French toast was not invented in France. Earliest references date back to the 4th century, Rome, way before France even existed as a country.
The Inspiration: “Who doesn’t know how to make French toast?” was the response from my husband, on being asked to take over breakfast, one morning; the outcome, unfortunately, began with “Okay! What do I need?” :)Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that are the hardest to do! Think about it—whipping up an egg until the peaks are stiff, making an omelette and flipping it perfectly, kneading the dough… And so, it occurred to me to dedicate some articles to the ‘simple’ things … things easy enough for the untrained husband or your kids to do. Here’s the first of those dedications on how to make the much-famed French toast.

The Ingredients

Makes 6 – 8 slices
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1.5 – 2 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup softened butter
  • Stale bread or relatively dry bread (or bread dried out in the microwave—that’s how I do it)
  • Optional: Caster sugar
  • Optional: Cinnamon powder (take a few sticks of cinnamon and dry roast it on a pan or in the microwave; grind it to a fine powder)

The Method

  • Lightly whisk the egg. You don’t need stiff peaks or anything fancy, so don’t try really hard. Season it with a pinch of salt.

Whisked egg

  • Add in the sugar and continue to whisk it until the sugar melts. Notice that the colour of the mix changes to a pale yellow.

Egg and sugar mix

Egg and sugar whisked together

  • At this point, add the vanilla and continue to whisk.

Egg, sugar and vanilla whisked together

  • Pour in the milk and stir.
  • Dip the dried bread slice in the egg mixture, for about 5 – 7 seconds on each side.

Toasted sliced bread

Egg dipped in French toast batter

Egg dipped in French toast batter

  • Heat your pan to medium heat. Pop in a quarter tsp of butter in the pan.

Buttering the pan

 

  • Carefully place the soaked bread slice into the pan. Remember to take the bowl holding the egg mix and the bread slice as close to the stove as possible; if not, you’re going to have a lot of the eggy mixture on your counter/stove. Attention: Cleaning. Wastage. 🙂

French toast in progress

  • Here’s what I do with my optional ingredients. While the slice is sitting in the pan, I sprinkle a very small amount of caster sugar and cinnamon powder on the top-facing side of the slice. Remember to do this before you’ve flipped the slice. Caster sugar works to get you the beautiful brown and the slight crust or crispiness; while cinnamon powder is simply for the taste.

French toast sprinkled with cinnamon powder and caster sugar, in progress

  • Each bread slice takes about a minute or two to develop the perfect golden brown. If you’re not sure, lift the corner of the slice to check the colour. Then, flip only when you’re sure of it.

French toast in progress

Serve hot and eat away! A serving of beautifully roasted/fried bacon on the side or over the bread is a sinful, but delicious addition 🙂 Bet you can’t stop at one…

French Toast

French Toast

Carrot Cake

My all-time favourite cake!  It’s best eaten warm in any weather. It’s rich, moist, full or flavour, and is the prettiest cake I’ve ever seen!

 

“If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be pretty messed up.” – Mitch Hedberg
The Fact: During World War II, due to food scarcity (except that of carrots and potatoes), the Government resorted to an oversupply of carrots and suggested, through propaganda, that the Royal Air Force’s exceptional night-flying success was due to eating high carotene-content carrots. The ruse sharply increased carrot consumption and took the pressure off other food supplies.
The Inspiration: Our family has always been very enthusiastic about baking cakes for birthdays rather than ordering ready-made ones from the famous Baker’s Basket or Copper Chocs. It all began with mum, who, since we were born, baked us our favourite pink or green cakes (the green, creepy in hindsight) without a whisk or cake beater. I still remember my brother, sister, and I gathered around her in our kitchen as she mixed the cake batter with her bare hands and transformed a then, boring whitish batter into a fascinating pink or green. And ever since, the tradition has continued, though now, with slightly upgraded equipment and with the responsibility having shifted from mum to me.
As I sat thinking about what cake to bake for my 24th birthday, rather bored by the myriad chocolate versions, and certainly considering healthier options, I stumbled across the Carrot Cake recipe on one of my favourite baking websites, Joy of Baking. And ever since, this comforting, moist, pretty (the orange flecks are simply adorable), spice cake has been my all time favourite and will never go out of fashion in my home!

The Ingredients

This cake serves approx. 15–20 people.
 

Dry ingredients

  • 250gms/2 cups flour (for a healthier cake, use wheat flour, but note that the batter will turn out denser and a little dry)
  • 250gms granulated sugar (if you’re using really sweet carrots, reduce the sugar by about 100 grams and then, gradually increase by tasting)
  • 100gms roughly chopped and lightly toasted walnuts (for a more nutty cake, throw in some more; you could toast them on a pan/in a microwave/ in the oven)
  • 2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon powder (throw in an extra teaspoon for a stronger flavour; I do for the taste and aroma)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

  • 350gms/2.5 cups not-too-finely grated carrots (carrots should be sweet; also remember to measure the carrots after grating – so start with half a kg of carrots)
  • 4 large or 5 small eggs
  • 240ml unflavoured oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (preferably pure, if not, don’t worry about it)
  • Optional:  3 – 4 tbsp/half a cup pineapple syrup (although optional, the syrup adds a glorious taste – remember to lower your sugar quantity if you add more syrup  vary the quantity until you can lightly taste the pineapple flavour)

The Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
  • Prepare your cake tin (standard 9 x 2 inch) by spraying it with grease or lightly greasing it with butter.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon powder.
  • In a separate bowl whisk the eggs for about a minute until frothy.
    Eggs whisked until frothy
  • Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture is slightly stiff and almost whitish (and has lost most of the yellow tinge). Note that the sugar should have more or less dissolved by now.
  • Gently pour in the oil in a steady stream and beat until incorporated (do not over beat the mixture; it might incorporate too much air).
  • Add the vanilla extract and whisk in.
    Eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla whisked together
  • Now, whisk in the flour mixture, just until incorporated (again, do not over beat).
    Adding the flour, cinnamon powder and baking powder to the wet ingredients

    Carrot cake batter in progress

  • Gently, fold in the grated carrots and the walnuts (fold in by making an ‘8’ motion with your spatula; do not beat this in).
    Adding grated carrots to the carrot cake batter

    Adding walnuts to the carrot cake batter

  • Add pineapple syrup. (Taste the batter and adjust sweetness by adding sugar or pineapple syrup. You should be able to taste the pineapple flavour. Of course, don’t overdo it or the cake will be too sweet.)
    Carrot cake batter
  • Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin(s) and put it into the oven.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. (This might take longer for larger quantities or if your batter is very dense. In such situations, keep the cake in for another 10-15 minutes and check again.)
  • Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack

You’re done 🙂 This cake is best served warm. Cut a slice to look at your beautiful, orange-speckled cake! Bon appetit!

This cake can be kept for a few days without refrigeration. In warmer climates, refrigerate within 2 – 3 days.

If you’d like to frost this cake since it does make pretty pictures, try my cream cheese frosting recipe. You can layer the cake and cover the layered stack for prettier presentation.

Halved carrot cake

Frosting in the middle

Frosting in the middle

Here’s what I did, only for the picture…

Frosted carrot cake

Or then, this …

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

That Perfect Rum-Oozing Christmas Fruitcake!

The perfectly moist, heavenly, rum-packed Christmas fruitcake! You have to try it to believe it! 🙂

 

The Fact: Fruitcake was often put into ancient Egyptian tombs because it was thought the preserved food would not spoil on the journey to the afterlife.
The Inspiration: With Thanksgiving just over, it’s already time to prepare for the next big celebration—Christmas! Despite all the Christmas clichés, the season brings with it this beautiful warm feelings right in the middle of a wintry cold December. Along with the family holidays, delicious meals, subtle and beautiful decorations, the Christmas tree, and the melodious carollers, there’s also the traditional Christmas cake that’s a ritual in so many homes. In my home, the scene’s no different—my mornings begin with the sweet sound of carols, the crazy annual cleaning’s in full swing, shopping’s on the cards, gift lists are being prepared and the sweet smell of sherry, rum and brandy is wafting through my kitchen as I type. Yes, my Christmas cake ritual has been set in motion. It’s a tried and tested recipe that’s been handed down to me by my mum. Isn’t it time for you to make this lovely, rum-oozing Christmas cake recipe your own?
So before the season kicks in, here’s wishing you a joyful Christmas and a good-food-filled New year!

The Ingredients

Makes one 10″ cake
  • 100 gms raisins
  • 100 gms currants
  • 100 gms almonds (soaked overnight and peeled)
  • 50 gms pistachios (soaked overnight and peeled)
  • 50 gms peeled cashew nuts
  • 50 gms orange peel or finely grated orange zest (approx 4 – 5 oranges)
  • 50 gms candied ginger peel
  • 50 gms glace cherries
  • 250 gms softened butter
  • 100 gms muscovado or Demerera sugar
  • 150 gms regular white sugar
  • 250 gms plain flour
  • 1.5 litre dark rum (I’ve heard of friends using sherry instead, but haven’t tried it myself, so feel free to experiment)
  • 4 large or 5 small eggs
  • 2 heaped tsp mixed spice (Mixed spice is a mixture of Allspice powder [powdered form of a specific pepper, called Pimenta dioica], cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.) – For this recipe, you can make mixed spice with six 1″ sticks of cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp ground/finely grated nutmeg. To it add 1 tsp ground ginger. Roast all the spices on a pan or in a microwave. When cool, grind all the spices to a fine powder. Store the extra powder in a glass, airtight container—remember, the aroma is the key so don’t let it escape!)

The Method

Soaking the fruit

Chop the raisins and currants, lengthwise, each, roughly into three bits.

Currants beings chopped

Finely slice the orange peel, candied ginger peel, almonds, pistachios, and cashew nuts, lengthwise; do not julienne them or they’ll get lost in the cake.

Chopped almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts    Chopped orange peel    Chopped candied ginger

Mix together the cut fruits and toss them into a large glass jar with a tight lid. Leave enough space at the top, almost one-fourth of the jar. Use two glass jars if required. Pour 1 litre rum over the fruits and ensure that the rum completely covers the fruits. Tightly seal the bottle to prevent the alcohol from evaporating. As days go by and the fruits soak up the rum, the level of rum will reduce. Keep topping up the jar with rum so that the fruits always stay completely covered with rum. Store the glass jar in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight; you do not need to refrigerate the jar. These conditions allow the fruits to soak in as much rum as they can.

Chopped fruits soaked in rum

Allow the fruit to soak for as long as you can. I usually soak the next year’s fruit this year so that the fruit has soaked for a whole year. I’ve noticed that the fruits develop a lovely deep colour and the flavor is quite indescribable. I do this year after year—trust me, there’s no down side to it. Fruits stored in the right way, with the rum level always higher than the fruit level, can stay good for up to 2 – 3 years. So, the procedure in this recipe is actually for next year’s cake while I’m using last year’s fruit batch this year. If you haven’t already gotten started yet, start now so that your fruits have had at least 2 – 3 weeks of soak time before you bake your Christmas cake.

Bottle of chopped fruits soaked in rum

Preparations for baking the cake

Caramelize the sugar: If you prefer a dark brown colour and a lovely caramelized flavor to your cake, which is my preference, caramelize the sugars first. To do so, place a non-stick skillet or frying pan on the stove on low to medium heat. Make sure that the pan is not too small or the caramel will boil and overflow. Add the brown and white sugars to the pan while it’s still cold. Both sugars melt at slightly different temperatures, but that doesn’t matter. Allow the sugar to melt untouched, while gradually prodding the edges from time to time. Once all the sugar has melted completely, sprinkle a quarter cup of water over the caramel to prevent it from hardening while you ready the batter. The caramel should be a deep golden brown at this point; not brown-black. WARNING! Take care as you pour the water because water causes the caramel to sizzle quite a bit. Make sure your fingers are far away from the pan. Don’t worry about dirtying your stove because caramel cleans up very easily with regular water. Once the sizzling has stopped, stir the sugar and water and keep the caramel aside to cool. Remember that water prevents caramel from hardening; without water, caramel tends to harden, making it difficult for you to add it to the batter later.

Butter and brown sugar blend

Ready the fruits: Using a slotted spoon, measure out 550 gms of the soaked fruits (that’s all of it if you’ve used the measures suggested above). Try to drain out as much of the rum as you can. Store the rum; it’d be criminal to discard it 🙂 Chop up the glace cherries and mix it with the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the fruit mixture with a generous handful of flour and toss the fruits in it so that the fruits are lightly coated with the flour. Keep aside.

Prepare the cake tins: Grease one cake tin. I used a 10”/25cm wide and 2” deep, round tin. You could also use a standard 9”/23cm round tin or a 9 x 2” square tin. But remember that if you use the smaller tin, you might end up with a little batter to spare. You could pop that extra batter into cup cake moulds; but avoid overloading the cake tin instead. Spray the tin with grease or lightly grease it with butter.

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.

Making the cake batter

For your cake batter, beat up the butter and eggs together in a large bowl with an electric, hand-held or free-standing beater. Add the caramel to the mixture. If your caramel is too hot, the eggs will scramble at this point. You don’t want this to happen, so get started after the caramel has sat for a few minutes. Beat the mixture well until fully blended.

Add the four and mixed spice and beat thoroughly until blended.

Whisk in about half a cup of the leftover rum (which is what I do—but if you have a lot of kids around or don’t like a very strong rum flavor, use a quarter cup or skip this step altogether).

Stir in the soaked fruits. Don’t beat this in as the fruits are very soft and may break up completely. You also don’t want to overdo the beating because the fruits will settle to the bottom of the cake—again, something you don’t want. So, be gentle.

Pour or spoon the batter into the readied cake tin and pop it into the oven.

Christmas rum fruitcake batter

Baking the cake

Bake the cake for a total of 2.5 – 3 hours in the centre of the oven, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and is a rich golden brown. Check after two hours, and if the cake is a perfect colour, cover with foil.

Note that while this baking time of 3 hours might seem ridiculous, you should know that most other cakes bake at 180C/350F/Gas 4, which is way higher than what this Christmas cake bakes at. This duration ensures that the fruits in the cake cook well and their flavors are well incorporated in the cake. Also note that oven temperatures work differently—so check your cake after two hours and again in another 30 minutes. Don’t let the cake dry out too much.

Remove the cake when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When still warm, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and pour in a little extra rum. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Christmas rum fruitcake

Storing the cake

Wrap the completely cooled cake in a double layer of grease-proof paper and a third layer of foil OR one layer of foil and a second layer of cling wrap. Store the cake in a cool place until Christmas! You can store this cake for up to three months outside a refrigerator and even up to a year in the refrigerator. Remove the foil and cling wrap only when you’re about to cut the cake, and even after that, place the remaining cake or the uneaten bits back in the foil and cling wrap as suggested earlier. The layers keep the cake moist and retain that lovely rum aroma.

To keep the cake moist, feed it with rum every 3 weeks. Remember to wrap it up all over again before you store it.

Bon appétit and Feliz Navidad!

Greetings from The Chill Grill

Banoffee Pie

Make this one out of love for the name of the dessert, if not the banana-toffee combination 🙂

 

Q. Ever wondered where the phrase “to go bananas” came from?
A. Why try when banana pancakes, choco-banana cakes, banana splits, and banoffee pies are all capable of driving you crazy?”
The Fact: Banoffee Pie was invented in 1972 at the Hungry Monk restaurant in England. It is rumored to be Mrs Thatcher’s favourite pudding.
The Inspiration: It was 10pm on the 11th of August, the eve of my birthday. As weird as it sounds, I love baking my own birthday cake, but this time, I wanted something different… “Why not some pie?”… thought I (rhyme attempt alert!).

The Ingredients

Makes 12 – 15 servings
The Base
  • 100 g melted butter
  • 250 g digestive biscuits; crushed (wrap up the biscuits in a soft cloth and beat it up any way you like; it can be a lot of fun)

The Toffee Filling

  • 100 g butter
  • 100 g Demerera sugar or any other soft brown sugar (avoid the regular white sugar because it makes the dessert too sweet)
  • 400 g condensed milk (sweetened)

The Topping

  • 6 – 8 ripe, but firm bananas (make sure that the bananas are sweet or the topping ends up being quite tasteless)
  • 250 g whipping cream

The Method

  • Take a 9-inch, loose-bottomed pie pan/tart pan and tip the crushed biscuits into it.
  • Add the melted butter to the crushed biscuits and mix well. Using the back of a spoon,  press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, firmly, to form the pie shell. Chill in the refrigerator until the filling is ready.

Biscuit base pie crust

  • Place a frying pan or a skillet on the fire, on medium heat. Add the brown sugar to the pan. As the sugar starts to melt, add the butter.
  •  Butter and brown sugar blend
  • Stir together lightly and then leave undisturbed till the sides begin to melt. Nudge the edges from time to time, but avoid disturbing the melting process. Remember that you want the lovely burnt caramel colour and aroma; don’t worry about burning the sugar too far as long as the stove is on medium heat and not on high. The colour of the toffee depends on the colour of the caramel. 

Butter and brown sugar blend

Butter and brown sugar blend for banoffee pie

  • When the sugar has completely melted, add the condensed milk and bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat, stirring continuously. Turn off the heat as soon as the now-formed toffee takes on the right colour.

Toffee for banoffee pie

  • Pour the toffee into the biscuit base and leave undisturbed to cool. Move to the refrigerator and leave until the toffee becomes firm. This should take a few hours if the toffee has been cooled sufficiently before refrigerating.

Toffee for banoffee pie

Toffee for banoffee pie

  • After the toffee is firm, slice the bananas and place them over the toffee layer. Avoid slicing the bananas too much in advance because they’ll turn black due to oxidation, and won’t make a pretty plate.

Sliced bananas

Sliced bananas decorated for banoffee pie

  • Quickly whip up the cream and place it over the bananas. You can add your layers in any way you like it and can vary the thickness of each layer too.
  • Chill the dessert before serving it, if not, it makes the servings difficult and messy to cut through.

     

    Eat away. Bon appétit! 🙂

Banoffee Pie

Sausage Potato Quiche

The quiche has always been one of those fascinating kitchen creations that has an exotic appeal with a sprinkling of humility. I’m not sure whether it’s the many variations of the dish, its humble beginnings in Germany and France, its popularity after World War II, or the sheer simplicity of the dish. Just can’t seem to put my finger on it…

 

“Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche”— A book by Bruce Feirstein; a bestseller satirizing stereotypes of masculinity
The Fact:  Why is the Quiche Lorraine named so? It is believed that Quiche Lorraine is a recipe traditionally from Lorraine, France, near the border with Germany. In reality, the classic Quiche originated in Lothringen, Germany, a region initially under German rule; however, it was renamed Lorraine when it came under French control. In fact, the word ‘quiche’ is derived from the German word for cake, ‘kuchen.’
The Inspiration: My fascination with the “quiche” began when I was 16 and was introduced to a quaint little French café that opened up next to the college I went to. A little late, I agree, but quiche was just not a regular in my house. I still remember spotting the quiche as a cute little something with pretty, wavy edges, and beautiful, golden brown bacon bits sprinkled over it… I just had to give it a try! And with that introduction, began my love affair with quiches and tarts and pies and short crust pastries, and the eagerness to master them all. To me, this dish is really not so much about the taste; it’s about the beauty in its simplicity—the simplicity in the ingredients, the preparation and the result.

The Ingredients

This dish makes 6 – 8 servings.

Pie Crust or Short-Crust Pastry

  • 1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup butter (115 g or ¼ lb) frozen or chilled butter
  • ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) cold water
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Quiche Filling

  • 3 large potatoes; grated, using a regular cheese grater

Grated potatoes

  • 2 cups of diced, chopped or minced sausages
  • 1 cup of chopped bacon

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

Chopped bacon and sausages

  • ½ cup of diced bell peppers (Use a combination of yellow and red for a pretty quiche)
  • 1 cup diced mushrooms
  • About 15 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I love garlic and usually use a lot of it.)

Finely chopped garlic

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Salt to taste

Egg Custard

  • 3 large or 4 small eggs
  • 2/3rd cup milk
  • A pinch of salt for each egg

The Method

Making the Short-Crust Pastry or Quiche Crust

  • Click here to read up on how to make the perfect short-crust pastry, pie crust or quiche crust.

Pie Crust

Making the Filling

  • Heat a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to simmer lightly. Do not burn the butter or allow it to turn brown.
  • Toss in the finely chopped garlic and allow it to brown slightly.

Garlic in butter

  • Add the bacon and let it release some lovely flavor into the pan as the fat melts. Allow the bacon to brown.

Bacon and garlic in butter

  • If you haven’t already grated the potatoes, now’s the time to do it. Remember to sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the grated potatoes. Give it a toss. Keep it aside.
  • Add the mushrooms and let them cook in the butter and fat, while absorbing the flavours in the pan. Mushrooms also release a lot of water. Allow the water to dry up as much as possible.
  • Now, toss in the chopped/minced sausages and the shredded potatoes.
  • After about 2 minutes, add the diced bell peppers.
  • Sautee the ingredients for a few minutes, or until all the water has dried up.
  • Season the mixture with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprinkling of sugar. You could even add a soup cube for more taste, but if you do, remember to adjust the salt.
  • Take the skillet off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down a little

The quiche filling

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

Making the egg custard

  • Whisk the eggs, the milk and the salt together. You’re done.

Assembling the quiche

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Take the ready pie base. Sprinkle the sausage filling into it. Pour the egg custard over the filling.

Pie crust with the filling

  • Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over it. This is completely optional 🙂
  • Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and the egg custard is set.

Serve hot and enjoy! You can refrigerate leftovers for later as well.

Bon appétit!

A piece of quiche

 

Baked Fish in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Happy Easter and welcome back! So, this Easter, while I decided to send all my readers on that delicious roast chicken chase, I decided to go fish. And what a lovely dish it turned out to be!

 

“A fishnet is made up of a lot more holes than strings, but you can’t therefore argue that the net doesn’t exist. Just ask the fish.” – Jeffrey Kluger
The Fact: Most fish can see in color and use colors to camouflage themselves or defend themselves. Most fish also have the best eyesight for their habitat and can see you peering at them in a fish tank. Some fish can even see polarized and ultraviolet light.
The Inspiration: Since Christmas was all about chicken, this Easter, I decided to restore the balance and go fish.
My Easter meal wasn’t extended to the entire family; it was restricted to Ally and me, and so a single Black Pomfret worked perfectly. Sunday started off with a quick trip to the fish market, a quick stop at the vegetable market, a lovely lunch with mum and dad, and finally, destination “Home” to cook the lovely fish. 
It was one of the simplest and quickest meals. And so, for those of you who hate the long kitchen hours and are looking for something fancy yet quick, you’ve found just the thing. I certainly enjoyed the lazy cooking style, the lovely flavours, and the fishy mélange of a formal meal and silly company (Ally and me, of course; I’d have it no other way 🙂 )
Happy Easter, everyone! And don’t forget to ‘Go Fish’.

The Ingredients

This meal serves 2–3 people.
  • One Black Pomfret (locally known as halwa) weighing approximately 600 gms (Adjust weight to feed more/fewer people)

You can use any other fish, such as the Red Snapper, White Pomfret, Basa, the John Dory and so on. I love the taste of this particular local favourite; blame it on the relatively high oil content if you please, but in case you’re concerned, note that 2- 3 portions of oily fish a week is recommended to help maintain heart health.

Fresh black pomfret

  • 2 big lemons
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • Quarter cup orange juice (optional)
  • A palmful of peeled garlic cloves (approx 25 – 30 cloves) Note: I love garlic and usually use a lot of it.
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Fresh or dried parsley (I couldn’t find any fresh parsley, so used the dried version)
  • Kosher or rock salt to taste
  • Any veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms, red and yellow peppers and carrots)

Baked lemon garlic fish ingredients

The Method

The Preparation and the Marinade

  • Preheat the oven to 190C or 374F.
  • Make sure that your fish is scaled, cleaned thoroughly, and the innards removed. I usually get the fish cleaned at the fish market itself. It’s an easier and quicker solution.
  • Wash the fish well and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Season it with half a fistful of rock salt, freshly ground pepper (as much as you like) and some parsley. Remember to rub the seasoning into the fish, on the outside and lightly on the inside by making a fine slit at the bottom, on both sides.
  • Leave the fish to rest in a baking dish as you prepare your lemon garlic sauce.

Making the Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

  • Pound the garlic cloves using the mortar and pestle; I don’t really think that the finely ground garlic paste works, but if you like the taste of whole cloves, go ahead and use them whole.
  • Slice the onion.
  • Squeeze the lemon juice from one and a half lemons; the remaining can be used for decoration.
  • Add the butter, the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the orange juice to a saucepan on medium heat and allow it to simmer.
  • Add a pinch of salt, a little bit of ground pepper and a sprinkling of sugar to the sauce. The sugar and the orange juice balance out the sourness of the lemon juice that can sometimes become a little overpowering. Taste and adjust the flavour as per your liking. Allow the sauce to simmer for a minute.

Lemon butter sauce

  • Simultaneously, place a frying pan on medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the sauce to the frying pan. (Hope you’ve turned off the sauce by now. The sauce should smoothly coat the back of a tablespoon; it shouldn’t be thicker or thinner than that.) Once the sauce in the frying pan simmers, toss in the pound garlic. Some chefs prefer adding the garlic directly in to bake, but I found the outcome a little too raw for my liking.
  • After sautéing the garlic for a few seconds, add the onions.

Onions and garlic mixture

  • Sauté the mixture until it is slightly brown. Don’t burn it.

Cooking the fish

  • Allow the mixture to cool for a bit and then rub it over and into the fish.

Marinated fish

  • Chop your veggies anyway you like them and place them around the fish.
  • Pour the sauce over the fish and the veggies.

Ready to bake fish

  • Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes. Use a small knife or fork and check to see if you can easily separate the fish flakes. If yes, your fish is done. The fish meat should be opaque white and not transparent.
  • If you want a browner top, use the grill or the overhead flame in your oven for about 2 – 3 minutes; not more.
  • Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Ready to bake fish

You can serve the fish with plain or garlic toasted bread. Don’t complicate the meal any further. Cut as you like. Note that if you use fillets instead, they should cook in about 15 – 20 minutes, are easier to serve and simpler/neater to eat if you’ve got company.

In case of any leftovers, refrigerate, but not for more than a day or two. Tuck in. Bon appétit!

Baked fish in lemon garlic butter sauce

No Bratwurst, No Switzerland

There cannot be a sausage tastier than this … not until another sausage proves me wrong!

 

“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” – Otto von Bismarck
The Fact: In 320 AD, because of their association with pagan festivals, Roman Emperor Constantinus I and the Catholic Church made sausage eating a sin and their consumption was banned! This led to sausages going underground until the ban was lifted.
The Journey:The title’s an exaggeration, of course! Switzerland’s famous for its wine, cheese, fondue, raclette, rösti, chocolate and certainly, the Alps, but the one thing I couldn’t dream of leaving Switzerland without was a bagful of vacuum-packed Bratwurst sausages that I’d handpicked from the Christmas markets around Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zurich HB), the largest railway station in Switzerland. And although these sausages are supposedly available all over the world, there was something about this perfectly cured, steaming-hot Bratwurst pork sausage coupled with the minus temperature around Christmas, the carols playing in the distance and the warm Glühwein I was happily drinking.
Bratwurst sausage packaged
 
Everybody dreams of visiting Switzerland at least once in their lifetime; my dream was no different. As luck would have it, I was given the opportunity when I was asked to visit Zurich to meet a business client, right around Christmas. It was a dream that was getting bigger, brighter and certainly more probable each day in December of 2013.I did everything a lot of what I would have loved to do in the short while I spent in Zurich—I worked of course, walked around in my new boots, window shopped at the super expensive Bahnhofstrasse, took a train ride to Lucerne, briefly walked around Lake Lucerne, took a cable car ride with the most exquisite view, went up Mount Pilates and got a perfect view of the Alps, clicked a lot of pictures all along the way (something I’d do almost anywhere), stayed in a quaint little hotel right off the Enge train station, strolled around the Christmas markets for a good 2 hours, explored Old Town, shopped and almost got broke, and yes, that includes the sausages.
 Christmas markets around Zurich HB
 
 Zurich old town
 
 A view of the Alps
 

Bahnhofstrasse

The Ingredients

1 packet of Bratwurst Sausages

 The Method

So, here’s what I did with the Bratwurst after getting home. You can’t go wrong with this and it’s apparently the best way you could eat a Bratwurst sausage (but I speak only for the pork one since the sausage is also available in veal and beef and not they’re not quite the same)…

  • Thaw the Bratwurst sausage if it’s frozen.

Sausages

 

  • Boil some water; enough to cover the sausage.
  • Drop the sausage in the boiling water and allow it to cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from water, slice it up if necessary, and serve right away.

Bratwurst Sausage

Serving suggestions: Plain ol’ sausage by itself is amazing; however, you could also serve it with toasted brown bread with a little butter, or a salad on the side. Try not complicating the plate with too much stuff, or the sausage won’t get its due.

I think I’m going to make one right now! Bon appétit!

Apple Pie

I believe in kicking off the winter with this crunchy-crusted, warm, moist, and totally droolable apple pie. And so should you!

 

“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the Universe.” – Eugene Field
The Fact: The term “as American as apple pie” traces back to 14th century England. The Pilgrims brought pie-making skills and apple seeds to America. As the popularity of apple pie spread, the phrase grew to symbolize American prosperity.
The Inspiration: Whether I plan it or not, winter, in my house, is born with the not-so-ceremoniously baked and eaten apple pie. It’s a thrill—the buying of the ingredients, the baking, of course, the lovely, warm apple and cinnamon smells that waft through my home. Like, I said, it almost christens the winter, my favourite season. The sequence played out this winter too, but this one was special—it was the first ever apple pie in my lovely new home. And like always, it was perfect!
  Just baked Apple Pie

The Ingredients

Serves one 9-inch pie; approximately 10 servings

Pie Crust

  • 2½ cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup (226 grams) chilled butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) cold water

Apple Filling

  • 8 cups peeled, cored, chopped or sliced (¼ inch pieces) apples; remember to use an apple variety that is crisp (not powdery) and doesn’t lose shape easily. The apples should be sweet; preferably a variety that you’ve sampled before and are familiar with.
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar; you can also use a combination of white and brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 – 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter
  • 1½ tablespoons corn starch or corn flour

The Method

Making the Pie Crust

  • Chop the butter into ½ inch pieces. Try to use your fingers as little as possible to prevent the heat from melting the butter.
  • Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and lightly knead together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Remember that the more your fingers touch the mixture, the faster the butter will melt, which is what you do not want. Alternately, you could use a food processor.

What this step does is it coats the flour molecules (or the glutenin and gliadin) with fat, preventing them from absorbing too much water in the next step. Water when in contact with wheat flour forms gluten, which makes dough elastic. But for preparations such as pies and tarts you do not want too much gluten to form because it makes the dough tough and gives it structure, which works for breads but not for soft, flaky crusts.

  • Sprinkle the cold water across the mixture and gently bring the dough together. Do not pour in the water. Stop when the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not knead or process more than a minute.
  • Form a ball of the dough and divide into 2 portions. Lightly flatten each ball using your palms. To prevent the dough from sticking to your palms, sprinkle the dough with loose flour.
  • Cover each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour before using. If you do not cover the disk, it will harden and cracks will form, making it difficult for you to roll the pie.
  • After sufficient chilling, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle. Remember to sprinkle the rolling pin and counter with loose flour to prevent the dough from sticking. As you roll, keep turning the pastry circle a little each time. This will allow you to roll out a uniform pie. Also, always roll from the centre of the pastry, outwards.
  • Gently transfer the rolled pastry circle to a 9 inch pie pan. You can do this easily by folding half of the pastry circle over the rolling pin and then moving the rolling pin to the pie pan and unfolding it. Brush off excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap once more and chill in the refrigerator.
  • In the same way, roll out the second pastry disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Making the Apple Filling

  • In a large bowl combine the sliced or chopped apples, sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gently toss the mixture so that all the apple pieces are lightly coated with the other ingredients.
  • Allow the mixture sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or more to allow the juices to seep out. Now, place the mixture in a strainer and collect the juices separately. Allow the juices to drain for 30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup of juice.
  • Lightly boil and caramelize the collected juices with 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has formed a lovely caramelized syrup and has reduced to about 1/3 cup. You can also use a microwave to form the syrup.

Putting together the Apple Pie

  • Remove the pastry crust (the one in the pie pan) from the refrigerator and allow it to soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
  • Transfer the drained apples slices from the strainer to a large bowl. Sprinkle the mixture with corn flour. Now, pour the syrup over the apples and toss the mixture to coat the apple pieces.
  • Transfer the apple mixture into the chilled pie crust, evenly.
  • Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Gently press the edges together.
  • Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crumple the edges using your fingers.
  • Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch slits from the centre of the pie outwards. This will allow steam to escape.
  • Cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven.

Pre-baked Apple Pie

Baking the Pie

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  • Cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent it from burning after about 30 minutes.
  • Place the oven rack at the lowest level. You could also place a baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven to catch any apple juices. Note that if your oven tends to overheat, use a baking stone and raise the pie pan to prevent the bottom from burning.
  • Place the pie on the rack and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes.
  • Pull the pie out when juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick is inserted through one of the slits.

Just baked Apple Pie

Serving the Pie Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. It’s practically impossible to wait, but trust me, resist it; it’s totally worth it. The wait allows all the juices to seep pack into the filling, thus making for a divine, moist apple pie, with a crisp pie crust. You can store the pie at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It might not survive, but if it does, refrigerate after Day 3. Have the pie for dessert, at tea time or just about every time you walk by the kitchen. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but the original, plain pie, is the best, in my opinion. Bon appétit!

A slice of Apple Pie

Red Velvet Cake

Some find a little bit of heaven in their red velvet cake; others think it’s overrated. My thoughts—I love red. I love cake. So, why not?

 

“You’re only human. You live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake!” – Emma Stone
The Fact: The Red Velvet Cake was invented during the Great Depression when food was a rare commodity, let alone cake and food colouring agents. To up their sales, the food colouring company Adams Extract lured customers by creating the Adams Red Velvet Cake recipe. They also gave away free Red Velvet Cake recipes at grocery stores to sells the red extract. The ploy worked. The cake became an overnight hit.
The Inspiration: With Valentine’s Day just round the corner and every website and restaurant featuring their oh-so-glorious red velvet cake, I just had to give this advertised cake a try… especially since I’ve never made the cake before. So, irrespective of the grief I got from some of my friends about conforming to tradition and expectations and all the clichés surrounding this day, attempt it I did. The outcome, though not the ideal ‘red’, was a pleasant surprise and a lovely dessert for just about any day of the year.
20140216_184311

The Ingredients

Serves approximately 12 to 15 people
Cake
  • 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed)
  • ½  cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
  • 2 large or 3 small eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some in a few minutes; read here)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons liquid red food colour
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Red Velvet Cake Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  •  1 cup confectioners’, icing or caster sugar, sifted
  • 1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream (or any cream that forms stiff peaks when whipped)

The Method

Making the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) with a rack in centre. Ready your baking pans (either one or two 9 inch pans) by spraying them with grease or lining them with butter. Preferably, also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  • In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Flour, cocoa powder, and salt whisked together

  • In a separate bowl, using a hand or electric mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes or until soft.

20140216_121352

  • Add the sugar and beat for about 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Blending together the butter and granulated sugar

  • Then, add the eggs, one by one. Beat well after each. Finally, add the vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
  • In a measuring cup, preferably a glass or stainless steel one, whisk the buttermilk with the red food colour. The red colour stains easily. Try to use glass or stainless steel equipment as far as possible to prevent staining.
  • Alternate the flour mixture, the buttermilk and the butter mixture and combine by whisking on low speed (to prevent you and your kitchen from bring splattered with the mixture). It’s a good idea to begin and end with the flour.

The batter coming together  The batter! 

  • In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. The combination will fizz; before the effervescence dies down, quickly fold it into the cake batter.
  • No work quickly. Pour the batter into your pan (divide your batter evenly if using 2 pans). Smoothen out the top with a spatula and pop the pan(s) into the oven.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake(s) on a wire rack.
  • After the cake has cooled sufficiently, use a blunt knife and pry the cake away from the cake tin. If you’re not a fan of the frosting, you can eat it right away.

Red velvet cake without the frosting

  • If you’re going to frost it, refrigerate the cake after wrapping it in plastic or shrink wrap for at least an hour, if not overnight. A chilled cake is much easier to frost because it doesn’t crumble as easily.

Making the frosting

In the bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is rich and thick. If you don’t have heavy cream and it doesn’t form stiff peaks easily, beat the cream separately and then add it to the cream cheese. Taste the frosting and add sugar or cream as per your liking.

Assembling the cake

If you’ve baked two separate cakes, you can assemble them straight away, and build a two-layered cake, with one layer of frosting in between. Alternately, using a serrated knife, you can cut your cake into four layers, horizontally. You can also use twine, wrapped around the cake, and pulled together to cut the cake evenly across.

Place the top of the cake onto your serving plate (since this is the least even layer of all). Spread a layer of frosting over it. Place another cake layer over the frosted layer and add a layer of frosting to the second cake layer. In the same way, frost the remaining layers. You can serve the cake as is if you want the lovely red layer to stay on top, or then, you can go ahead and frost the outside and top of the entire cake stack. I don’t like too much frosting or decoration. I love the plain ‘ol cake, or then, with one layer of frosting. You can do it as you like it.

A slice of red velvet cake

Top the cake with anything you like. Some of my options are cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, red velvet cake crumbs (the easiest to do), strawberries, and so on.

I would eat this cake any random evening, but make sure you have someone to show it off to. The hard work’s got to be worth it! 🙂 Bon appétit!

A slice of red velvet cake

Panna cotta

The quickest, sophisticated-looking, and by far, the easiest dessert recipe I’ve ever known…

 

“In the 1960s, you could eat anything you wanted, and there was no talk about fat and anything like that, and butter and cream were rife. Those were lovely days for gastronomy, I must say.” – Julia Child
The Fact: Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert that literally means “cooked cream”.
The Inspiration: Honest. I didn’t have the time or the ingredients for anything else. My in-laws were coming home for lunch. My main course was almost done. And I’d forgotten about dessert!!! So I held the refrigerator door open and stared at my options for a whole minute. My panna cotta ingredients practically called out to me, saying, “Use meeee” 🙂
So if you find yourself in a similar situation, you know what to do.

The Ingredients

Makes about 8 servings
  • 2 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 tablespoon powdered, unflavoured gelatin
  • 5 tablespoons sugar (flat; not heaped)
  • 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: a few tablespoons of rum
  • Optional: a handful of strawberries or any fruit of equal measure

The Method

Making it

Pour the water into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over it. Stir and set aside. The gelatine will absorb the water, soften and swell up.

In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar and split vanilla bean (if using the vanilla bean; if not, incorporate the vanilla extract in the next step), and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do NOT let it boil.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the softened gelatine and the vanilla extract (if using extract; if using the vanilla bean, at this point scrape the vanilla seeds from the bean pod into the mixture, and discard the pod).

Whisk the mixture until it reaches room temperature. If you have a warm kitchen, whisk the mixture with the saucepan in an ice bath.

Check to see whether your mixture is smooth and that the sugar and gelatine have dissolved completely.

If you like a slightly rummy taste in your panna cotta, add in the rum now. You can taste the mixture to check whether you’d like a little more and adjust accordingly.

Setting it

Now to set the panna cotta… I like the quick and simple presentation where I set the panna cotta in whatever I’m going to serve it. I use wine or shot glasses. If not, you can lightly oil a few ramekins or any bowl with a neutral oil and then use them (the oil so that the set panna cotta comes out easily).

Pour the mixture into the preferred containers and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. If you’re keeping them longer than overnight, cover them with plastic wrap.

What I like to do almost always is add some fresh fruit (strawberries on this day) into the serving mould or serving glass and pour the panna cotta over it so that the fruit sets in the panna cotta itself. It’s the lazier and easier way out.

pannacotta2

Serving it

You can serve panna cotta with whatever you want—fresh fruit (my favourite), berry compote, chocolate shavings and even leftover cake crumbs—like I said, absolutely anything.

If using a mould, before serving, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the mould. Dip the mould briefly in a bowl of hot water, and then carefully invert onto the serving plate and tap slightly. If the panna cotta doesn’t unmould right away, return it to the hot water bath for another five seconds and repeat. If stressed for time, do it my way and serve it in whatever you’ve set it in, without unmoulding.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Grilled chicken cooked with the combined fragrance and flavour of freshly ground black pepper and freshly squeezed lemon… hmmmm…

 

“The disparity between a restaurant’s price and food quality rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill.” – Bryan Q. Miller
The Fact: It is believed that when the Goths defeated Rome in 410, they demanded a ransom of 3,000 pounds of pepper, along with other valuables such as silk.
The Inspiration: Although we live a hop, skip and jump away from my parents and my in-laws, a Sunday family meal with them does not take place that often. This Sunday was different.
We had a late and well-deserved, fun Saturday night and a mild hung-over Sunday morning; nothing that a hot cup of coffee and a quick shower couldn’t fix. On a day like this, when you’re expecting your in-laws for lunch, a quick meal, like this one, was just perfect. So that’s my inspiration for this addition—a quick, homely and simple recipe.

The Ingredients

Serves approximately 6 people
  • 1 kg chicken cut into roughly 8 – 10 pieces
  • 5 tablespoons barbeque sauce
  • 1 tablespoons soya sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
  • 1 medium or ½ large lemon
  • 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil

The Method

  • Wash well and drain the chicken pieces. Dry the chicken pieces using a kitchen towel.
  • Mix all the above ingredients (except the olive oil) for the marinade.
  • Slit the chicken pieces so that the marinade permeates the meat.
  • Apply the marinade to each chicken pieces carefully, remembering to massage the marinade into the slits as well. Place chicken pieces in a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over it.
  • Allow the chicken to sit covered on the counter or in the refrigerator for about 20 – 30 minutes. Refrigeration is preferred if your kitchen is warm and not at room temperature.
  • Ten minutes before your marination time’s up, preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C.
  • Drizzle the dish with the olive oil and pop it into the oven for about 30 – 40 minutes.
  • Your chicken’s done when the meat seems to leave the bone easily and the meat doesn’t look pink and raw. You can prick it with a skewer or fork to check. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve while it’s hot.

Note: I used chicken on the bone; if you’re using boneless chicken, your meal should be done in 20 minutes.

You could serve the chicken with a salad on the side. I also added a lovely garlic-flavoured potato mash (mashed potato) with it. A light white wine will make for a great drink to go with the meal.

lemonpepperchicken2

A lovely Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay, some country music in the background, a few sways in the kitchen, a lovely sit-down meal, followed by a cosy nap! A perfect end to the weekend!

Chocolate & Sautéed Banana Crepes

Speaking of comfort foods, who’d have thought that decadent chocolate and a fruit wrapped inside a soft crêpe would be my new favourite dessert… breakfast item… comfort food…?

 

“In a big family the first child is kind of like the first crêpe. If it’s not perfect, that’s okay, there are a lot more coming along.” – Antonin Scalia
The Fact: Crêpes originated in Brittany, France and are considered as the country’s national dish. Crêpes can be compared to the African injera, the tortilla, the Indian dosa and the Mexican sope. 
The Inspiration: So, let’s be honest. I’d like to believe that I’m a serious health-conscious freak, but I’m really not. I have my days. It was one of these days that led a few friends and me to this quaint little patisserie, “Le Plaisir”, which had opened up close to our work place, one August afternoon. Since I wasn’t in the mood for a serious, heavy dessert, I thought about trying out their crêpes. Apart from the regular crêpes (considered as the French-styled pancakes) with whipped cream or maple syrup, I spotted a Nutella and Banana Crêpe. While the Nutella satisfied the dessert craving, the fruit led me to believe it was healthy, which it wasn’t of course! And so I ate… And fell in love… And the banana-chocolate combination became my new favorite duo… So much so that I recreated the dish, rather perfectly, I dare say, the very next day.So unoriginal… right? But like they say… “Love is blind” 🙂

The Ingredients

Makes 10 – 12 crêpes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
  • 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 ½ cups milk (for slightly healthier crêpes, use 3/4th cup milk with ½ cup water or buttermilk)
  • 2 large or 3 small eggs
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 large bananas
  • Nutella or readymade chocolate sauce or a few bits of semisweet chocolate melted

Crepes ingredients

The Method

Making the crêpes

Whisk all the dry ingredients—the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder—in a bowl. Remember to add the baking powder only if you’re making the crêpes immediately. If not, add just before use.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then, add the milk to it. Use room temperature milk—not too hot or too cold. At this point, you could also add a quarter teaspoon of vanilla essence if you don’t like the egg smell.

Using your spatula, create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into it. Gently whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until the mixture appears smooth and without lumps. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and whisk gently. Remember not to over-whisk the mixture or you’ll lose all the air from it, making your crêpes slightly tougher than the soft, fluffy ones.

crepe batter

It’s a good idea to check for lumps using the back of a spoon, before you proceed.

checking for lumps in the crepe batter

Allow the batter to sit for about 30 – 60 minutes, covered properly (make airtight), in the refrigerator. Note that if you’re making the batter in advance, you can store the batter in an airtight container for up to 1 day. But, when you do so, remember to add the baking powder about 5 minutes before you actually make the crêpes; not earlier.

After refrigeration, whisk the batter to get a smooth, slightly more fluid consistency.

crepe batter

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium flame and add a drizzle of the butter. Don’t let your pan smoke.

Now, add about 1/3 cup batter and swirl it around to completely cover the bottom of the pan or until it reaches the desired size. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes, until the crêpe looks slightly transparent or until the underside of crêpe is golden brown. Then, using a spatula, loosen the edges slightly and flip the crêpe once, using your fingers.

just flipped crepe

Let the crêpe cook for another minute, then slide it into a plate. Remember, the key is to flip it only once and not more. Give it a try and you can’t go too wrong (and even if you do, you can still eat it).

Repeat the procedure until the batter lasts.

Making the topping/stuffing

With the pan still on the stove, quickly slice the bananas. Add the remaining spoon of sugar to the pan and just when it begins to melt/caramelise (don’t go too far or you’ll be left with hard caramel), toss in the bananas until they are lightly coated and golden brown. Take them off the pan.

Note: You can avoid this step altogether and use plain sliced bananas (without the caramel coating). That’s what I did since the caramel makes the dessert too sweet for my taste.

Serving the crêpes

You have various options here…

  1. Lightly brush the smooth side of the crêpe with some melted chocolate/Nutella/chocolate sauce. Line up some of the banana slices in the centre. Roll up the crêpe and serve.
  2. Lightly brush the smooth side of the crêpe with some melted chocolate/Nutella/chocolate sauce. Line up some of the banana slices in one quarter of the crêpe. Fold the crêpe into that quarter and serve.
  3. Fold a plain crêpe into a quarter and place it on a plate. Toss a few banana slices onto the crêpe. Drizzle some melted chocolate/Nutella/chocolate sauce over it and serve.

crepes and chocolate shavings

Bon appétit! I hope this comfort food gives you all the comfort, joy and heavenly bliss it gave me!

Pepper Chicken Noodles

Noodles. Pepper. Chicken. What more can I ask for on a pleasant, laid-back Sunday afternoon?

 

“Noodles? I can’t eat noodles; there’s too many of them. No matter how hungry I am, 1000 of anything is too many.” – Mitch Hedberg
 The Fact: Contrary to popular belief, Marco Polo did not discover pasta; was only the first to write about it.
The Inspiration: Ghostly silence until 11am (to allow you to stay under the covers); cheerful country music to wake you up; a mindless, laid-back, workless day; un-put-down-able Pepper Chicken Noodles for when the stomach growls; your favourite people for company… that’s what Sundays are made of! 
… and yes, also the fact that I hadn’t stocked up on my regular supplies for the week, and so, apart from two packets of Hakka noodles, 2 frozen chicken breasts, 1 carrot, 1 red pepper, and 1 yellow pepper, I pretty much had nothing to cook …

The Ingredients

Approximately 6 servings
  • 2 packets of vegetable or egg noodles of your choice (approx 300 – 350gms)
  • 150 gms boneless chicken
  • 2 green chillies (de-seed the chillies if you can’t tolerate spice)
  • A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 large or 2 medium-small onion(s)
  • 2 medium-sized peppers (use different coloured peppers for a more colourful dish)
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 soup cubes
  • 4 tablespoons Dark Soy sauce (I used Ching’s Secret)
  • 4 tablespoons All-In-One Stir-Fry sauce (I used Ching’s Secret; you can use any brand that’s easily available)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • Butter or olive oil (olive oil being the healthier option)
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper

The Method

Boil the noodles as per instructions on the packet. Drain the noodles, run cold water through them to stop them from cooking further and then, drizzle some oil on them to prevent them from sticking. Set aside.

In the meantime, slit the chillies, finely chop the garlic, julienne the carrots and capsicums, slice (not chop) the onions, and dice the chicken into medium-sized bits.

Heat a wok with about 3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil (use olive oil as the healthier option). When the oil is hot, drop the chillies and chopped ginger into the oil. Without letting the ginger burn, quickly add in your onions.
Sauté the onions for about 2 – 3 minutes. When the onions appear translucent (don’t let them lose their crunch), toss in the carrots and stir for about 2 minutes. Then, toss in the capsicum briefly for about a minute.

Add 1 soup cube, half a teaspoon of salt and about 3/4th tablespoon of freshly ground pepper.

peppernoodles2

Stir the veggies and empty them into a plate.

Heat the wok again and add a sliver of butter or a drizzle of oil to it. When the butter/oil has heated, add the diced chicken and stir continuously till the pink of the chicken is no longer visible (about 1 – 2 minutes). Scoop out the chicken bits and set aside.

In the same wok, stir in all the sauces—the soy, stir-fry sauce, ketchup and vinegar. Toss in the noodles for a few seconds (do not stir to prevent the noodles from breaking or becoming a mash). Sprinkle the noodles with the second soup cube, salt to taste, and 1 tablespoon of freshly ground pepper. Feel free to add more pepper if you enjoy spice or then, tone down the pepper to your liking. Toss again for a few seconds. Add in the veggies and the chicken bits. Toss once more and voila, you’re done.

And since I don’t believe in reheating noodles (though I will if I absolutely have to), enjoy the dish while it’s hot! Add a glass of white wine or even a coke to your meal and maybe, the book you’re reading or a movie of your liking, and you’re pretty much set.

Bon appétit! Here’s hoping the door bell doesn’t ring 🙂 … at least not just yet…!