Roasted Vegetable Soup

I generally cook on Sundays as thats when am free and up in the morning last Sunday I had made Soup. All those who know me will tell you Sunday and no chicken...SURPRISE...!!! Well thats a funny little story.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie

I decided to make something sweet, a sweet way to say sorry to my blog - BUON APPETITO.

Bruleed Lauki Halwa

Cooking can be great fun when we get to enhance our knowledge. Last few weeks thats what I did, I experimented with a lot of ingredients and cusines. I even recreated a few famous dishes from all around the world.Surprisingly the experiments were no failure and I had loads of fun creating all those new dishes.

Black Chicken

Today, I am not sharing anything I tried in Shillong but its a dish I saw in a cookery show called Poh's Kitchen. Well in the show they used some ingredients that I didn't get here and they used beef which I don't eat....so why did I still try out the dish. The answer is in what attracted me....well I was attracted with the name Nasi Kandar aka Black Beef, I mean a black looking dish and appealing...hmmmm.... didn't seem to be very possible at the first shot and I just had to give it a try.

Creamy Egg and Potato Curry

As it has been planned for me, again I am alone with the same routine life and the only real fun time is when I am blogging. As I was alone and not in a very good mood, so I didn't feel like shopping or cooking anything special. So last Sunday was perfect for a easy , simple curry and the Creamy Egg and Potato Curry was part of the menu.

Celebration with Fish in Spinach and Mustard Gravy

The news of my leave being approved is something worth celebrating and today I partied with Fish in Spinach and Mustard Gravy. I consider it to be a very festive dish as its part of my families party food and is created during very special occasions. The last time I had it was when I went to my ancestral home for my aunt's wedding and that was some 10 years back approximately.

Paneer and Pepper Quiche

We all read about food and try to learn new dish for any place avaliable, some recipes sound so interesting that it just gets us thinking....the same happened with me when I read about quiche some years back. My love for eggs is no secret and this dish has eggs as the main ingredient so exciting right . But I didn't know of any place in Bangalore where I could get them and I didn't have oven at that time so I didn't try making it.

Murgh Musallam with Padina Pulav

Since the last 2 weeks the feeling is so intense that I just wanna eat only dishes that remind me of home.. :) . Last weekend I made Bhapa Dim again and this weekend Murgh Musallam. I know that's not a typical Bengali dish but as I have told my mom is a great cook and she makes several types of dishes and this dish is also from her list of creations.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

My liking for broccoli is very recent, in most of the movies they show that no one likes them ; this had an affect on me, I never bought them fearing that I wont like it and it would be a waste.

Florentine Mac and Cheese

My love for pasta is no secret but off late I have been trying out the lighter versions without cheese so today I was up for some indulgence. I baked the dish as I love those crunchy bites of cheese, then it looked very pale and I wanted some color in my plate thats when Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach came into picture.

Orange Cake with Orange Icing

Mangoes mark the start of Summer and Oranges mark the onset of Winter. Shillong has abandace of Oranges, every house has at least 2 orange trees. And in the chill weather, having oranges after lunch is a different feeling all together.

1st BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH 'SALAD RICE WITH SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN'

It’s been more than a month that I wrote anything. Did I lose the excitement......No way; rather I was caught in the hands of faith. I met with an accident and was in bed-rest all this time. Sadly I missed a lot of important and fun occasions in the process --- I missed to celebrate my blog's birthday, SORRY BUON APPETITO :( , I missed the new year celebration and I even spent my birthday lying in bed. Well no use crying over spilt milk, today I started cooking and I decided to making something that celebrates my cooking experiments and it’s my way of saying sorry to my blog for missing out on her birthday :)

DHANIA CHICKEN / CHICKEN IN CILANTRO SAUCE

Every dish that we make always have a story associated. Some kindles those childhood memories that gets hidden over years and others are those we picked up over the life from some books or resturants or even television... :) . Restaurants and television are the major places from where I collect my inspirations. The recipe I am sharing today has several stories to it as well.

GAJAR HALWA KA PATISHAPTA / SWEET EGGLESS CREPES STUFFED WITH CARROT PUDDING

Diwali is very special for me - I get to be a kid for a day . It’s been 7-8 years that I celebrate Diwali away from my family and with my friends. Although I miss my family but I always enjoy this festival. I start planning from morning, there is shopping for lights to be done and the last minute cracker to purchase. I love decorating my house with diyas and lighting and this is something I do every year, these small diyas always bring a lot of smile.

NUTTY MUTTON AND CRISPY FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH RICE

Anyways let get back to the dish , for my final course I decided to make a lamb dish. Every family has some tradition going on for ever and so do we. Since my childhood I have heard that on the Dashmi day , we should not have chicken and we have to make meat(lamb/mutton) only. Although my dad cannot eat meat(lamb/mutton) due to his health condition this tradition is still followed , and so I thought of sticking to it.

CILANTRO RICE WITH TANGY GRAVY AND SPICY FRIED FISH

People say Bengali cuisine is generally related to fish and sweet---actually they are not wrong :D . Being from a Bengali Family, we ate fish everyday. Infact my Baba(daddy) cannot enjoy his food without it even if there are 5-6 courses still he would need a fish dish :) .

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH TOASTED BREAD AND PEA PESTO

OCTOBER.....this is the most festive month of the year. There are endless number for festival from all around the world and I have decided to celebrate them all-----HOW??? With food for sure. :) .

VANILLA SOAKED FRENCH TOAST WITH POACHED PLUMS

All my life the one meal I have skipped is Breakfast....I know it the most important meal of the day and all, but somehow I rarely feel like eating in the morning. One glass of milk is more than enough for me. I have been advised against this by so many people but somehow I just could not .

SPAGHETTI IN SOYABALL SAUCE

Pasta is an ingredient which is always available in my kitchen. Although I have quite recently (4 years now) started making pasta , I immensely enjoy it. A little effort that can bring total satisfaction :) .

CHEESY CAKE

Has it ever happened to you that even after a good dinner your sleep is disturbed late night due to the huge craving for something sweet.....hehehe.....this happened to me last Sunday..... :D

Sunday, January 29, 2012

ORANGE CAKE WITH ORANGE ICING


Beauty lies in the Eyes of the Beholder -- A very famous saying by John Keats. I truly believe it, having said that I have to admit that I feel winter to be a beautiful season....WHY ??? not very sure, may be its cause of my birthplace. Being brought up in beautiful state of Meghalaya, my love for Winter season is kind of very natural. The long winter vacations might have something to do with it as well :D .  Along with winter comes the beautiful fruit -- Orange.

Mangoes mark the start of Summer and Oranges mark the onset of Winter. Shillong has abandace of Oranges, every house has at least 2 orange trees. And in the chill weather, having oranges after lunch is a different feeling all together. I still remember those days, we had a tree just near the bedroom window ; before lunch Mamoni would call us (Me and Anna) out and she would pluck the oranges and me and my sister would run to the yard with a basket, we were responsible to catch the oranges before it hit the ground...soon we would have a basket full of oranges--- plump, sweet and juicy.


The orange is one of the most common and popular fruit. Delicious and juicy orange fruit contains an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals for normal growth and development and overall well-being. It goes perfectly in any sweet or savory dishes and its also perfect on its own. :) .My love for the Oranges has nothing to do with the healthy benefits, anyways let me share some of the health benefits of oranges I have read ;
  1. Regularly consuming vitamin C retards the development of hardening of the arteries and oranges is abundant source for vitamin C.
  2. Oranges contain a compound called liminoid, has been found to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.  The high vitamin C content also acts as a good anti-oxidant that protects cells from damages by free radicals.
  3. The alkaloid synephrine found under the orange peel can reduce the liver's production of cholesterol.  Whereas the anti-oxidant fights oxidative stress that is the main culprit in oxidizing the LDLs in our blood.
  4. Even though the orange "tastes acidic", it actually has an alkaline effect in the digestive system and helps stimulate the digestive juices, relieving constipation.
  5. A high intake of flavonoids and vitamin C has been known to halve the risk of heart diseases and oranges is abundant source for vitamin C.
  6. Studies have shown that a flavonoid called hesperidin in oranges can lower high blood pressure.
  7. Drinking orange juice daily can significantly drop the risk of formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.
  8. The anti-oxidant in orange help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.
  9. Consuming vitamin C rich foods helps to lower the incidence of peptic ulcers and in turn, reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
  10. Oranges have abundance of polyphenols have been shown to provide protection against viral infections.

On the 26th Jan, we celebrated the 63rd Republic day. Watching the flag hosting and parade on the television, just fills me with a great zeal and pride to me an Indian. Last year on this day I enjoyed the day with Colorful Mash, and I won the first award for my cooking.....it was great. This year I wanted something sweet. It so happened that last weekend I bought loads of oranges, and was planning to turn that in a cake. 26th Jan'2012 seemed to be a great day to make the cake.....finally my Orange cake with Orange Icing was created.

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FOR ORANGE CAKE 
Orange, finely grated zest only 1 medium sized
Eggs 2 numbers
Flour 1 & 1/2 cup
Baking Powder1 tablespoon
Sugar1 cup
Nutmeg (grated)1 teaspoons
Butter1/4 cup
SaltJust a pinch
Ground-Nut Oil1/2 cup


FOR ORANGE ICING 
Orange juice, freshly squeezed 1 medium sized
Icing sugar 1/2 cup


    ORANGE CAKE:-
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter and flour the sides of the cake tin and set it aside.
  2. Grind the sugar till it becomes fine and powdery.
  3. Whisk together eggs and powdered sugar till the sugar is dissolved.
  4. Add the orange zest to the egg mixture and whisk again till the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
  5. Melt the butter in a saucepan , add the oil to the melting butter in the saucepan.
  6. Add the oil + butter mixture to the egg mixture and stir well.
  7. Sift in the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.
  8. To the flour mixture, add the grated nutmeg and salt ; mix well.
  9. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and fold it all together gently.
  10. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 150C or till a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  11.  When the cake is done,place the tin out of the oven and allow to stand for about ten minutes before removing the cake carefully from the tin. Allow the cake to cool completely.
    ORANGE ICING & ASSEMBLY:-
  1. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough orange juice until it is soft; see that the icing is not runny. 
  2. Place the cake on a serving plate and spread the orange icing over the top in a zigzag pattern. 
  3. Let it stand for 15 minutes and serve.
             
    The slice of the sweet and orangey cake given a very pleasant feeling .

    Priyanka

    Sunday, January 15, 2012

    1st BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH 'SALAD RICE WITH SWEET & SPICY CHICKEN'


    A year has passed by and along came in 2012 with lot of new hopes and dreams. Wishing you all a Great New Year Ahead.......may every moment be filled with joy and hope all your dreams come true....!!!!

    It’s been more than a month that I wrote anything. Did I lose the excitement......No way; rather I was caught in the hands of faith. I met with an accident and was in bed-rest all this time. Sadly I missed a lot of important and fun occasions in the process --- I missed to celebrate my blog's birthday, SORRY BUON APPETITO :( , I missed the new year celebration and I even spent my birthday lying in bed. Well no use crying over spilt milk, today I started cooking and I decided to making something that celebrates my cooking experiments and it’s my way of saying sorry to my blog for missing out on her birthday :) . Do join me to wish BUON APPETITO a very Happy 1st Birthday. I just cannot believe that one year has passed by and I had a lot of fun with you (BUON APPETITO).


    Before I begin with the recipe I want to share the story behind my blog. I was always interested in cooking since childhood but I have started serious cooking some 6-7 years back ---after I moved out of my home and I was tired of eating out. Over the years I had treated my friends & family now and they would always encourage me a lot. My friends would often ask for my recipes and it got me thinking that I should have a space where I could note down my recipes and everyone could access it. During the same time, my younger brother started blogging and he explained me all about it and it seemed to be a great idea........and I started my first blogs -VERSATILITY.

    In a few days I realized that blog could be a great way of noting my recipes and anyone could access them easily if they wanted. With this thought in head I came to office on December 18th, 2010 and I determined to start my recipe blog. However I didn’t know what to name it and the whole day in office I kept thinking about it, I even involved my younger sister in the process. At night 11:00pm it struck me.......I had read an article sometime back, that Italians never start their meal without wishing "BUON APPETITO" meaning 'Enjoy your Meal' to all and it felt just perfect. I have some fascination with everything Italian---the architecture, food, men everything stands out in my eyes :) . And I want everyone to enjoy my dishes.....so my blog is named "BUON APPETITO".


    I started blogging with no knowledge about it. I thought blog is only for personal entries---that’s what I saw in Movies, I didn’t even know that there are other peoples who blog about recipes. Over the last year I discovered the blogger community; I met many wonderful people and loved the experience.

    Now let’s move to the recipe---SALAD RICE with SWEET & SPICY CHICKEN. I wanted to make something special to celebrate the birthday......however I was torn between trying something new or revisiting an old recipe. Finally I decided to make this dish.....it has a great importance to me. This is the dish that marked the beginning of my journey with kitchen. The first time I made it was some 4 years back just for me.....and then I had it again for my parents some 2 years back. Today when I made the dish I had made a few changes and I liked the variation.

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    FOR SWEET & SPICY CHICKEN 
    Chicken thighs 8 pieces
    Potatoes 2 medium sized
    Carrots 2 medium sized
    Red Onion1 large
    Ginger-garlic paste 2 teaspoons
    Grape Juice1 cup
    Lime Juice1/2 of a Lime
    Honey1 tablespoon
    Tomato puree1/2 tablespoon
    Paprika3 teaspoons
    SaltAs per taste
    Ground-Nut Oil2 tablespoons


    FOR SALAD RICE 
    Basmati Rice  2 cups
    Onion 1 large sized
    Carrot 1 large sized
    Cucumber1 medium sized
    Tomato2 medium sized
    Yogurt4-5 tablespoons
    Lime Juice1 number
    Turmeric powder1/2 teaspoon
    Paprika1 teaspoon
    SaltAs per taste
    Ground-Nut Oil2 tablespoons


        SWEET & SPICY CHICKEN:-
    1. Marinate the chicken thighs in a bowl with salt, 1 teaspoon paprika and lime juice. Let it stand for 15-20 min.
    2. Chop the vegetables --potato, carrot and onion, in medium sized cubes.
    3. In a large pan, add oil and fry the chicken till it get golden. Remove the pieces in a foil and fold the foil so that the chicken pieces stay warm.
    4. In the same pan, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry. Add the cubed vegetables and lightly fry them.
    5. In a separate bowl, whisk together paprika, tomato puree, honey and line juice. Pour the liquid mixture in the pan. 
    6. Add the warm, fried chicken pieces to the cooking pan and cooking again for 4-5 minutes; see that every vegetable and chicken are properly coated with the liquid mixture.
    7. Pour the grape juice to the pan; let it cook on medium heat till the chicken and vegetable are cooked and the liquid is a evaporated.

        SALAD RICE:-
    1. Heat oil in a large pot; add the rice to the pot and fry it for 5-6 min.
    2. Whisk together the yogurt, turmeric powder, paprika and salt in a bowl.
    3. Pour the yogurt mixture to the frying rice, mix well and let it cool for 6-7 min.
    4. Add water to the pot and let the rice cook.
    5. Chop the onion, carrot, cucumber and tomato into small cubes. 
    6. Add lime zest. lime juice and salt to the chopped vegetables and let it stand for 10 min.
    7. Mix the tangy vegetables to the cooked rice.
             
    The tangy Salad Rice with Sweet and Spicy Chicken makes a great combination.

    Priyanka

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