Affogato-Drowned Vanilla Ice Cream

Affogato means "drowned" in Italian. Affogato is a coffee based dessert whereby a scoop of vanilla gelato drown in a shot of espresso. Now you know why the dessert called drowned in Italian. There are some variations of affogato which includes a shot of amaretto. Being a non-alcoholic, i opted for the basic recepi without compromising on the taste. .

Creamy vanilla ice cream drowned in a strong espresso coffee is something i can't resist. The hot coffee and cool ice cream just melt in my mouth.  Serve with a cookie or wafer.

Ingredients

1 cup strong brewed espresso (hot or room temperature)
1 big scoop of vanilla gelato/ice cream


Methods

Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream into a bowl or dessert cup

Fill the bowl or dessert cup with a shot of espresso.

Garnish with cookie or wafer.

Serve immediately

French Toast Roll-Ups

French toast roll-ups are a regular breakfast in my household especially for the kids lunch box. Even though i made them few times before, but i didn't get a chance to snap them with the ever busy morning chores. Somehow, i managed to clicked them this time around and thanks to my elder daughter for the click. Not bad for a 12 years old i guess.

Ok let's talk about French toast roll-ups. Not like their main counterpart this beauty doesn't require fork and knives which means you can simply enjoy them with your hands. Just grab the rolls and bite into awesome goodness of French toast. Easy and quick breakfast recepi and even easier to enjoy. Th creative breakfast idea you can pack for your kids lunch box. Simply switch to nutella,cheese,marmalade or jam for different fillings. Roll them in a cinnamon sugar for the additional crunch and and texture. Enjoy them as their own or serve with maple syrup.

Ingredients

5 slices white bread
5 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp granulated white sugar

For Cinnamon Sugar

3 tbsp granulated white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon


Methods

In a bowl, whisk together milk,egg and sugar. Set aside.

In a plate, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. Keep aside

With a rolling pin, roll the bread slices into 1/8 inch thick. Spread each bread slices with peanut butter.

Gently roll up the bread. Continue with the remaining bread slices.

Heat a frying pan and melt the butter. Dip the bread rolls with the prepared milk mixture. Place on a frying pan and cook 1-2 minutes on both sides until golden.

Remove from pan and gently roll the fried bread rolls in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Transfer into a serving plate

Greens With Walnut & Cranberries

Salad is the ultimately easy to prepare and this greens with walnut and cranberries is definitely one of the easiest. Crispy,juicy,crunchy all combined in a one wholesome goodness salad bowl. The balsamic vinaigrette add flavour and some kind of perk-me-up after taste to the salad. Easy to prepare and light to the palette without compromising in taste.

Ingredients

2 bunches green coral leaves,cleaned
1 cup whole walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Dash of ground black pepper


Methods

In a big bowl, roughly tear the green coral leaves . Add walnuts and dried cranberries

Combine olive oil,balsamic vinegar,black pepper and salt in a bowl and whisk.

Pour the the mixture over the coral leaves and toss well.

Serve immediately.

Egg Kurma

Rich and creamy egg kurma can be done in this easy to follow recipe. I always made this delicious egg kurma when i'm overloaded with eggs in my fridge. Saucy and full of flavour egg kurma goes well with plain white rice,roti,paratha or briyani. Infused with assorted spices and to mellow down the spiciness, the creamy fresh coconut balances the flavours well. This amazing egg kurma is definitely a great choice for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

3 hard boiled eggs, scored
1 large onion
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp oil
2 cups water
Salt to taste

For Tempering

1 star anise
3 cloves
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick

For Grinding

1/4 cup grated fresh coconut
1/2 inch fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4-5 cashew nuts
2 tbsp water


Methods

In a grinder, grind all the ingredients listed under "For Grinding" with 2 tbsp water. Grind into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add the fennel seeds. Once crackle, add star anise,cinnamon stick and cloves. Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Saute until the onion turns translucent.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soft and mushy.

Add the ground coconut mixture and cook until the raw smell leaves. Add the coriander powder,chilly powder and turmeric powder. Stir well.

Add the 2 cups water and season with salt. Stir well. Boil the gravy until the raw smells of the spices leaves. Add  the scored eggs and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander and turn off  the heat.

Serve with briyani or white rice

Dragon Fruit & Chaat Masala Juice

Dragon fruits aka pitaya are loaded with vitamins and minerals which makes it an ideal choice to include in your fruits diet. Vitamin C,B1,B2,B3 and minerals such as iron,calcium and phosphorus. White and pink flesh dragon fruits are easily available in the market and i always get mine from my usual fruit vendor. My girls loves fruits and pink dragon fruits are one of their favourite. Most probably for its gorgeous shocking pink colour i guess.

Other than eating it as its own i try to feed the girls with their favourite pinky in the form smoothies,juice or as jelly. I made this beautiful pink juice with a dash of spiciness from chaat masala. Truly an Indian flavor to introduce for a tropical fruit and to my surprise the duo goes really well. This is an amazing juice when you need to perk up your mood. The chaat masala gives a beautiful hint of flavor to the juice and instantly makes me alive. A savoury note to the ordinary pink dragon fruit juice.

Ingredients

1 medium sized pink dragon fruit, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups soda water
3 tbsp granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp chaat masala
3-4 ice cubes


Methods

Add all the ingredients in a smoothie maker or blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes.

Pour into serving glass and sprinkle with pinch of chaat masala

Serve immediately.

Stir Fry Long Beans With Garlic

This is a very simple stir fry long beans recipe that even  a bachelor can whip up in their kitchen. When i saw a beautiful bunch of fresh green long beans in the market, i knew i wanted to go for a     simple and easy stir fry infused with a full flavor of garlic. I prefer my vegetables al-dente which is firm to a bite. Nothing is worst than an over cooked mushy vegetables on your dinner table. 

Love the crunchiness of the perfectly cooked long beans laced with the saltiness of soy sauce and the boost of sliced garlic. I love a bit spiciness thus, i added one dried chilly which, is truly optional. This long beans recipe is sort of what we usually order whenever we dine in Chinese restaurant. With few simple everyday ingredients that you can find in your kitchen now, you too can be a Chinese master chef of your own. Delicious stir fry longs beans with garlic ready to be served with white rice. Indeed a vegetarian favourite.

Ingredients

1 bunch of long beans, washed and cut into 2 inches
2 cloves garlic,sliced
1 small onion,chopped
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 dried chilly, cut into 2 inches
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp water
Salt to taste


Methods

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute onion till soft and add sliced garlic. Once garlic slightly browned, add the beans. Stir well.

Add the water and cover the pan with lid. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with soy sauce and salt. Stir.

Cook for another 1 minute and turn off the heat

Transfer to a serving plate