Thursday 25 April 2013

Tuna n Mushroom Quiche



This is something I learned to make in one of the cooking classes I attended and at last found time for it.. It was indeed a success...



Pastry :

150 gm cold butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2-3 tbsp ice water

Filling :

4 eggs
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can tuna (drained and flaked)
10 button mushrooms, sliced
finely chopped coriander
salt and coarse black pepper to taste

Method :

To make the pastry, blitz butter and flour in a food processor till crumbly. Add in ice water and pulse till clumps of dough appear. Pour out dough to a floured surface and roll into a ball. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for about 30 mins.
Meanwhile, prepare a tart pan with removable base.Lightly grease it.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll it out evenly and wide enough to cover ur pan. Carefully place on pan and cut off the excess. Prick base of pastry with a fork. Place baking paper on top of pastry and fill it with beans or rice to avoid the pastry rising.
Bake in 180C for 15 mins. Remove baking paper and beans. Bake further till golden brown. Mine took additional 10 mins.
Meanwhile, mix together eggs, cream and milk. Add grated cheddar, coriander, black pepper and some salt. Leave to rest.
Once pastry is done, remove from oven. Line with flaked tuna and sliced mushrooms evenly. Pour the filling onto the pastry shell slowly. Bake in 160C oven for 30-40 mins or till skewer inserted comes out clean.



Eggless Banana Choco Chips Loaf

I love baking banana cakes...but of coz without using banana essence as I feel it gives the cake a fake banana smell which is indeed quite strong..I decided to make this eggless banana cake to give my vegetarian neighbour who has come about to help me with my baby during confinement...it was truly thoughful of her.
This cake turned out exactly how I hoped it will be : easy to make, moist, delicious and irressitable ;)


You need :

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 180 degrees.
In a big bowl, sift together flour, b.powder and b.soda. Add sugar and mix well. Then add in the oil and mashed bananas. Mix and add in vanilla. Lastly add choco chips.Mix well to combine. Pour into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-40 mins or till done...

Saturday 20 April 2013

Eggless Chocolatey Mousse

Chocolate Mousse
Looking for easy, delicious, spot on, perfect dessert..here it is....and the best part is that its Eggless... ;)
So, vegetarians can enjoy this delightful dessert as well...

I used :

1/2 cup chopped semi sweet chocolate
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp water
1 tsp Bailey's Irish Cream
1 tsp brown sugar

Melt chocolate with sugar and water using the double boiling method. Add Bailey's. Mix and Keep aside.
Beat whipping cream till it is light and form peaks. Do not overbeat.
Add in whipped cream to chocolate mixture and slowly fold to combine.Spoon mixture into serving cups. Cover and refrigerate 4-5 hrs before serving.




Saturday 13 April 2013

Eggless Moist Orange Cake




Hi everyone...Happy Tamil New Year...this is my first bake after a long absence. My Princess Shweta is a month old now and things are slowly getting into a routine. I managed to slot in a bake when she was taking a nap ;)....guess this is how things are gonna be for some time till she grows up...

Now, this cake is an easy bake, moist, fragrant with the right amount of sweetness. Do give it a try when u have only an hour to bake a cake as the preparation time I took was only 30 mins and 30 mins to bake. Most of the ingredients are things we usually have in the pantry.


Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup
Sweetened creamer - 1/2 cup
Brown castor sugar - 2 tbsp
Juice from 2 large oranges - freshly squeezed (1/2 cup)
Grated orange rind from 2 oranges
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Method :

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
In a mixing bowl,  beat together butter, creamer and sugar till well mixed.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and keep aside.
Next, add flour mixture and orange juice alternatively to the butter mixture and mix well with a wooden spatula. Add in vanilla extract.
Pour in a greased baking pan and bake for 30 mins or till skewer inserted comes out clean.

You may want to double the recipe if you want a taller cake which I plan to do the next time ;)

Linking this to : Nivedhanams - Bake Fest, Vardhini's Page