Monthly Archives: July 2015

Skinny Tiramisu Smoothie

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Tiramisu -the classic Italian dessert is  the coolest coffee trifle ever made.Delightful mascarpone cheese layered with espresso soaked sponge fingers with a touch of cognac or brandy.Coffee,cream and booze are possibly the best after dinner combination.But the moment I write cheese,sponge finger ,cognac  or brandy in one sentence my mind gets clouded with guilt feeling.Is there a way I can eat something so delectable but not feel guilty? I kept thinking to myself while battling the thought of gaining a pound or two by indulging in such luscious luxuries.And this is what I came up with as solution.Skinny Tiramisu Smoothie.I substituted the rich mascarpone cheese with a much nutritious banana , low fat milk and  vanilla yogurt along with  two tablespoon cream cheese for that decadent smooth texture.

 

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My cheat treat.Tiramisu smoothie well within 75 kcal per glass!! One hell of a tiramisu drink neatly poured in a glass.The feel good factor even enhanced with caramel drizzle on top.And I am good to go..errr drink my glass of skinny tiramisu smoothie.Oh! have I mentioned this is eggless too,which means the vegetarians out there can enjoy this treat as well.

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 Ingredients

  • 1/2 of a chopped frozen banana
  • 2 tbsp strongly brewed espresso coffee,cooled or 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup fat free or low fat  yogurt
  • 1/2 cup 5% fat milk or skimmed milk
  • 2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 2tbsp  cream cheese
  • cinnamon powder,a pinch
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or essence
  • caramel sauce,for drizzling (optional,but highly recommended)
  • rum extract or essence,a drop (optional)

Serves : 2

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients except caramel sauce in the blender.Blend until smooth and well combined.
  • Pour in to a cooled glass and top it with your favorite caramel sauce.
  • Serve chilled,enjoy!

 

 

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Sausage Jambalaya

 

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Jambalaya !! Does that name ring a bell? If it does not ,then do not worry .Just note it down as an incredibly easy to make  one pot  recipe ,that will save  your  precious energy on a weekday and rather  impress  your guests if cooked as part of a dinner party menu.Jambalaya is a French word that literally means ‘jumbled’. This is a rice dish with a great mix of strong flavor and textures.I got to taste this wonderful rice dish at a friend’s place.I was so impressed ,that soon I had to try out my own take on the recipe.Jambalaya  is a Creole dish of Spanish and French influence and is very similar to the Spanish paella.Meat  in the form of chicken or pork sausage are the common ingredients for

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the traditional  non vegetarian take on the dish,but I believe dodging out on the meaty ingredients won’t do this incredibly spicy and flavorsome dish much harm. Nutrella or tofu can be wonderful vegetarian  substitutes for this dish . The ‘holy trinity’ of this dish are bell peppers,onion and celery.Red,yellow,green and pink! I am a sucker for natural color in food.I believe if the food looks naturally beautiful,half the battle is over.I cooked and created a stock

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of the vegetables and sausage,added the raw rice and then let it cook in those flavors till done.I added the seasonings and the tomato puree towards the end ,to give it a nice sour-spicy effect,but you are free to add it while cooking the vegetables and the meat.The best part of the dish is that it’s extremely versatile,so you are free to choose and  swap your protein,chicken, prawns,sausage,tofu and so on or even customize the heat in the dish according to your taste buds.Feel free to put your own stamp!

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Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil or sunflower oil
  • 1 onion,diced
  • 3 ribs celery,chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper,cored and diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper,cored and diced
  • 1 green bell pepper,cored and diced
  • 1-2 green chili or jalapeno peppers,seeded and finely chopped (depending on taste)
  • 5 cloves garlic,mined
  • 2 lb pork sausage ,sliced in rounds
  • 80 gm pureed tomato
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4th teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • salt,to taste
  • 1 and 1/2 cup rice of your choice
  • 3 cups stock or warm water
  • 2 table spoon of spice mix of a teaspoon each of ground black pepper,red pepper flakes,dried oregano,cumin powder powder,coriander,dried thyme,paprika powder- all crushed and mixed together
  • a handful of parsley,finely chopped (optional)

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Method:

  • Heat 3 tablespoon oil in a large deep vessel at medium heat.
  • Add bay leaf and  minced garlic,saute for a while.
  • Add onion, bell pepper and celery.Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the sausage slices,combine with the vegetables by stirring .
  • When the sausage changes color to,add the rice.
  • Add the spice mix and the pureed tomato.Give it a good stirring to mix and combine all the ingredients well.
  • Add the stock or water,reduce heat to medium.Cover it , let it simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is well cooked,stirring  in between to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Check and adjust the seasonings
  • When the extra moisture has evaporated  you can add your choice of a hot sauce if you prefer to have really spicy and hot Jambalaya.
  • Remove from heat and garnish it with chopped parsley.
  • Serve hot and enjoy!

Murgh Reshmi Kebab / Chicken Reshmi Kebab

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Summer is here and so is the barbecue season in my part of the world.While it may be  scorching and sweltering in summer heat in some parts of the world,the British Summer is rather pleasant with average temperature of 15 degree Celsius ,with occasional bouts of rain to cool down.

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The roads are lined with summer flowers, swaying to gentle summer breeze.We are making most of the season as long as it lasts,travelling to the countryside ,the lake lands and  having barbecues at our place. Grilled meat in different form in accompaniment with salads is our absolute favorite.

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Last weekend while the weather was at it’s best,I decided to make some Chicken Reshmi Kebabs.As the name suggests,literal translation of it means silken chicken kebabs.The indirect heat from the tandoor or oven cooks the meat very slowly retaining all the moisture.

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Children can also enjoy this kebab as it is really mild in taste and very  low on spice content . The perfect balance of the marination make the tender meat even more juicy,succulent ,moist and as smooth as silk. Whoever,came up with the name ,gave it the name that it truly deserves. They are delicate morsels of yum!Indeed!Serve the kebabs with Mint -Coriander Chutney,salad  and hot naan breads for a complete meal or serve them on their own as starter to the main course.

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Ingredients 

Boneless chicken cubes  500 gm,cut into small cubes

Salt to taste

White pepper,to taste (optional)

Unsalted butter for brushing on top

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For marination..

2 tablespoon Ginger -Garlic paste

1 table spoon Lime juice

4 Green chili , finely chopped

A handful of coriander leaves and mint leaves

2 tablespoon Greek yogurt or hung curd

2 tablespoon Fresh Cream

3 tablespoon cashew nut- almond paste(10 of each approximately)

4 tablespoon Cornflour/Cornstarch

Salt to taste

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Method

  • Pat the chicken with paper towels to remove extra moisture.
  • In a bowl mix together chicken with salt and white pepper and set aside.
  • Then prepare the first marination taking together ginger garlic paste,finally chopped green chilies ,chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves,as well as lemon juice.
  • Rub the chicken thoroughly with the mixture,and let it marinate in the fridge,well covered for 2-3 hours or preferably overnight .
  • Remove the chicken from refrigerator an hour before cooking to bring it to the room temperature.
  • Soak the almonds in hot water for 10 minutes so that the skin loosen.Thereafter press each one between your thumb and index finger so that the skin splits and can be removed easily.
  • Marinate the chicken with rest of the ingredients.
  • Thread  the chicken pieces into the skewers,if using bamboo sticks as skewers make sure to immerse the sticks in water for half an hour to avoid burning.
  • Place the skewered chicken in a foil lined baking tray.
  • Brush the chicken  generously with melted unsalted  butter.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius in grill mode.
  • Grill  the chicken for 7-8 minutes,remove the chicken and flip over.
  • Keep checking in between, and brush with melted butter whenever necessary.
  • Grill for about 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is done.
  • Once done remove from the chicken cubes from the skewers.
  • Serve hot with Mint chutney

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Recipe for Mint Yogurt Chutney..

1/3 cup  yogurt

A handful of mint leaves and coriander leaves

A green chili,finely chopped

1 tablespoon roasted cumin powder

1 tablespoon chaat masala

1 teaspoon black salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dry mango powder

 

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Method :

  • Take the yogurt in a bowl,beat it with a whisk or spoon till smooth.
  • Mix the spice powders and salt with the yogurt.
  • Grind the coriander leaves,mint leaves and green chili with little water.
  • Mix the freshly  ground green chutney with the yogurt.
  • Blend the ingredients  till they are well combined.
  • Serve the mint chutney with Chicken Reshmi Kebab or any other tandoori snack .

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Related posts :

Kaju Murgi /Cashew Chicken

Yogurt Mousse with Strawberry Marshmallow & Blueberry Compote

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Marshmallow,strawberry,blueberry and Greek yogurt !! What not to love?And what if they come together to make a gorgeous mousse.Light,fluffy,delectable,an oh! so yummy mousse!!This is the perfect ending to your summer barbecue afternoon lunch spread out.And what  I have not mentioned yet is that it is an easy peasy  dessert.With minimum number of ingredients and 10  minutes of cooking time ,this  can easily be your favorite make ahead dessert for dinner parties.This is my second take on the French favorite dessert.The first attempt being the Egg-less Gondhoraj Lebu Mousse .

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Ingredients :

For the mousse..

125 gm Greek yogurt or hung curd

65 ml whole milk

A drop of vanilla extract or vanilla essence

80 gm strawberry or vanilla flavored marshmallow

Serves : 2

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For the blueberry compote..

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Two teaspoon of lemon juice

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How to make the mousse.. :

  • Place the marshmallows,whole milk and yogurt in a deep vessel .
  • Heat it gently on slow flame,stirring continuously until the marshmallows melt completely and all the ingredients are well combined.
  • Remove the vessel from fire , as soon as the mixture starts looking like a slightly thick custard.
  • Remember the mixture will thicken further when completely cooled.
  • Cool the mixture at room temperature and transfer to the serving bowls.
  • Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1- 2 hours.
  • Serve it with the blueberry compote or any other summer fruit compote of your choice,just before eating.

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How to make  blueberry compote..

  • In a medium pot over low heat whisk together sugar,cornstarch ,lemon juice ,until the sugar melts completely and clumps are removed.
  • Add half a  cup of blueberries and cook for few minutes,until the mixture has slightly thickened with  the blueberries are thoroughly cooked.
  • Add another  1/2 cup of blueberries .
  • Give them a gentle stir,not allowing the second batch of blueberries to break down completely like the first batch.
  • Cool at room temperature, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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