Let the Good Times Roll!

As an equal opportunity holiday celebrator, this week had Fat Tuesday!  A good time was being had by all at some of our old fun joints, like Cafe du Monde, the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, I'm sure. 

I wondered what to make that day, besides Red Beans & Rice (which I did in my IP).  I was remembering back to when the little S was in elementary school. As most schools do, her school also had Multicultural Week.  And as funny as it was, even though we live in the US, most of her class was also Indian or some type of Asian. The projects that week were always about Diwali, India, Holi, or Chinese New Year... you get the drift.  So, one year she decided to think outside the box... or rather the map of the her classroom.  Her presentation was going to be about Louisiana and Mardi Gras (from a kids perspective, of course). ;)  She had a great time doing her write up and gathered her "outfit" for the day.  Then came the million dollar question, "What can I pass out, mommy?"  We had beads and little masks for all but... that didn't quite seem like enough for her.  She said, I love beignets and I'm sure my friends will too.  :)  I said, "Ya, why not! Who wouldn't? A room full of kids on a powdered sugar high!!  Your teacher is going to love me."  :)

So that day, I made a tray full of beignets and off to the classroom she went. The presentation went well, the kids were surprised, "I thought S was from India?" some asked. And I replied, "she is but, since she has grandparents who live in Louisiana, and she enjoys her visits there, she decided that she'd share something a little different with you this year." Who'd a thunk it? :) 

The classroom was  just a little messier than usual and recess was just a little longer.  But, in the middle of a CA classroom, Mardi Gras was celebrated in "Red Stick" style... 

"Laisser le bon temps rouler"  Let the Good Times Roll!  Pun intended. ;)

So, in honor of that... I whipped up an easy, peasy, cheat-worthy quick batch of beignets. 

You have a couple of options if you'd like to give it a try. 

A)  Purchase a box of Cafe du Monde's Beignet mix.  Available in Louisiana stores or at Cost Plus World Market.  Follow directions and Enjoy!

B)  Use Trader Joe's Buttermilk Pancake baking mix. This is what I did this time. 

Take 2 cups of mix, add 1 cup of water. Combine. It will be a little sticky and lumpy.  Slowly add more mix, about a cup, give or take some, until it forms into a nice, round ball. 

Once it's easy to handle, roll out onto a floured surface.  Cut out into squares. Heat oil. And fry till golden brown. 

Remove onto paper towel and then transfer to a serving tray. While they're still warm pour a generous amount of powdered sugar on top. Be careful not to sneeze! :)

Enjoy! 

Here's my little Mardi Gras girl... how time flies...  :)

And another year, we happened to be at a Mardi Gras celebration at the Universal Studios Parks in Orlando. That was a fun time too, with floats and beads and Cajun music too.

Valentine's Day @ The Podilas...

Roses are Red and Violets are Blue...
Another year... another Valentine's Day comes and goes...

Interestingly enough I noticed that the price of a box Strawberries didn't hit the roof a few days prior. I know, a silly tidbit but still... in years past, I have noticed that a regular box only doubled in price and quartered in quality. I wonder what happened this time around??  I'm not complaining though. ;)

And so, the day of hearts and flowers started off at our house with breakfast together, after a long time S didn't have her early AM class, so homemade pancakes were had by all...literally, I didn't get a picture. ;) And then on to the usual routine... school, work, chores and what not... I did spend more time in the kitchen though. :)  So here are my dishes... Made With Love... and a few crossed fingers.

Because my Instant Pot trials and tribulations continue... and today was a good day...  we had a Brussel Sprouts appetizer inspired by this recipe I saw on momnoms.net, Ginger Ale Bread, Pesto Pasta (made by our resident chef, the husband) ;) and my first ever IP Cheesecake!!

The Brussel Sprouts were yummy but... not exactly picture worthy... yet... will post again when I remake.  Here's my version of the recipe though... had great flavor and would make a good appetizer.  I had the oven on so just before we ate them, I put them in for a few minutes to heat them up.  Just keep an eye out that they don't burn...

Subha's IP Chili Brussel Sprouts

1 package (16oz) Trader Joe's Brussel Sprouts 

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 handful chopped pecans

1/8 cup Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Chili Sauce

1.5 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder

pinch of salt

1. Mix the soy sauce, chili sauce, garlic powder, 
red chili powder and salt - set aside.

2. Ready the Brussel Sprouts - I cut off just a bit at the bottom
and remove any damaged leaves. If any are super large, cut in half.

3. Put the Instant Pot (IP) on Saute and add Olive Oil, 
after a few seconds, add pecans. Saute for just a minute to crisp. 

4. Add Brussel Sprouts to IP and mix... then add sauce mixture. 
Saute and add just a bit of water to rinse out sauce cup. 

5. Close lid and vent, put IP on Manual, High Pressure for 1.5 minutes. 

6. When it beeps, carefully quick release the steam.

Open and Enjoy!   

And on to my First Instant Pot Dessert...

NY Cheesecake from "This Old Gal"

I made this recipe as is, in my 8" Springform pan, I did not double the recipe.  Hence you can't see the crust that much. If you make it in smaller size pans, you will have the crust come up the edges.  My 8" pan fit perfectly into my 6qt IP with the handle trivet it came with. 

For the 8" I put it in for 37 minutes and Natural Release. There was no water on top and it set beautifully.  Be sure to add the sour cream layer while hot, it definitely added to the flavor. 

Notes for the future... take the time to line with parchment so as to not get the little rough edges you see here... 

Before serving, I added caramel topping and toasted pecans. :)  YUM!!

Oh My! Oh My! Oh How Does Time Fly?!

Getting back into the swing of things... something or the other is always happening (right?) to all of us... and somehow time escapes me.  A new year comes about and suddenly everything that got away comes back into your brain... and you think, "I will do better this year." So... here I am... hoping to get out of my old self and into a new... :)

Last year during the Thanksgiving Sales madness, I ordered myself a present.  I'd seen it at a friends' house before but... never really paid attention to it.  They usually have 5+ people at their home for each meal so, I thought my little family of 3 could never really use this "toy."  Boy! Was I wrong! I'm sure you may have an idea what new (to me) kitchen gadget I'm referring to... The Instant Pot, of course. :)

It is the latest craze in kitchen gadgets... it's an Electric Pressure Cooker and can it do more than steam veggies!  I am experimenting on my dear family... trying various "concoctions" each day. Some are tasting better than others. :P  But, nevertheless... if you are Indian and just make "Dal, Pappu, Parupu, Lentils" of any kind... this will be a great addition to your kitchen too.

The number of recipes out there are unimaginable... folks are trying all sorts of variations on all kinds of food items you can think of.  In my humble beginnings...  I am thus far happy with a Rajma, a Veggie Pasta, Toor Dal, Moong Dal and our favorite! Soft Idlis...  as I peruse recipes all day it seems, I am truly amazed at the kinds of things people are trying with this device. Cheesecake???  Can't wait to try that out!

I will start sharing my tips and recipes soon... gotta re-try out some recipes and make sure you can recreate them too. ;)

In the meantime, here's a recipe for a Semi-Homemade Coffee Cake I threw together to give to my neighbor and some friends recently.  It's easy peasy so give it a try if you're ever in need of a quick dessert. It's not overly sweet so it pairs nicely with Tea, Chai and of course, Coffee... staple in my household. :)

I serve it with some cut strawberries... your choice of course. If you warm your piece up a little, that would be nice too.  And if you don't want to use the nuts, then you don't have to. It still tastes yummy.

-  1 Box Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix - follow box instructions, bake in an 8"x8" pan
-  1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans (Walnuts would be fine too)
-  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix

Before you set out to follow the box instructions, reserve a 1/4 cup of the mix in a little bowl.  Pour in the Pecans and toss. Make the batter with the rest of the mix according to the box. After everything comes together, add in the coated pecans/mix.  This step is supposed to help them not all fall to bottom of the pan while baking.  Works most of the time. ;)

Good luck! Hope you enjoy!

Here are my Idlis  :)

Pecan Caramel Espresso Cheesecake Bites

Made this for a party and everyone loved it.  :)  You definitely need to like coffee as the fresh Espresso has wonderful kick to it.  It's definitely a blend of 2 passions from my house... For those who don't know, my hubby loves coffee.. more like LOVES Coffee. I came across a recipe and then he came to mind.  The original recipe called for "Instant Coffee" and at that "instant' I thought, I could have the coffee instantly made for me instead. And of course, the fact that no Instant Coffee can be found at my house helps. ;) So, I chose a time that was good for both of us to make my Pecan Caramel Espresso Cheesecake Bites. 

 

Realized later that I forgot to mention to my guests that I made it with Low Fat Cream Cheese... apparently that made no difference at all.  ;-)

 

Here's my version of the recipe... I tweaked it to our liking and believe the use of fresh Espresso made a huge difference!  It should be used within minutes of making else will bring on a bitter taste to your dessert. Making my own crust with freshly ground Oreos added to the taste as well.  :)  I made 24 Mini Cheesecake bites using a mini-muffin pan lined with paper liners (very important).

For Cheesecake

2 pkg.  (8 oz. each) Trader Joes Low Fat Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup  sugar

2 tsp.  vanilla

2  eggs

2 Tbsp.  milk

1 Double Shot of Espresso - freshly made (use within minutes)

For Crust

Mini-cupcake pan with liners

OREO Cookies - crushed into a fine powder (I used my Magic Bullet)

1-2 Tbsp. melted butter - to hold the Oreo mixture together

Topping

1/2 cup Toasted Pecans - roughly chopped

Smucker's Caramel Sundae Topping

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. 

Make Crust: grind up Oreos into fine powder.  Mix in butter as needed just enough to hold the powder together. Put a teaspoon (or so) into each of the cupcake liners in the pan and press down with the end of a spoon so it's flat.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended.

MICROWAVE milk in small microwaveable bowl 15 seconds. Add Espresso shot to milk. Then add that mixture to the batter; mix well. Pour into individual crusts.
BAKE 20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. 
While oven is still hot put pecans in and toast for 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they burn easily. Once cooled, roughly chop.

Few minutes before serving take the mini-cheesecakes out of the fridge. Remove liners from each and set out on a platter to serve.  Top each piece with the crushed pecans and top with a little bit of the caramel syrup.  Serve and Enjoy!! 

Store any leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

 

 

Garlic Mozzarella Pinwheels....

Here's a simple appetizer recipe to keep handy for those days when you need something quick.  I tried these out recently to take to my Book Club's Holiday Party.  My tasters/testers at home, oops I mean, my family :) liked them and my friends enjoyed them at the party.  Here's what I did with a few ingredients I had on hand. I'm sure that once you stop to think about it you will be able to think up combinations to make your own sweet or savory Pinwheels.  Enjoy and Happy Cr-eating!


I used:
1 sheet of Puff Pastry (make sure it's cold but, you're able to unroll it)
Pre-made Garlic Butter Spread (If you don't have this, make a spread of your own... try Butter with Garlic Powder or a bit of minced garlic.  Add a spoon of Oregano or Italian Seasoning and a pinch of salt.)
3 TBSP Mozzarella cheese
1/2 TBSP Dried Basil (crushed)

I laid the puff pastry flat and brushed on a thin layer of the Garlic Butter Spread. On the end from which I was going to start rolling,  I spread the Mozzarella cheese from end to end - preferably the short side.  I left a little bit of an edge that would help me get the rolling started easier. I gently lifted the puff pastry and started rolling to the other end.  Once I had a tight rolled log, I put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes so that it would all set together, making it easier to cut.

I cut the log into slices and laid them on a baking sheet. I baked them for about 12 minutes.  Since all oven cooking times vary and the thickness of your slices will also have an effect on how much time they need to cook.  Just keep an eye on them the first time.

Take them out when they are a bubbly golden brown.  Sprinkle the Dried Basil over each one while they are still hot.  Enjoy!

The possibilities are endless.  :)  Here are just a few other options to fill your Pinwheels with:

Nutella
Sugar (makes the well known treat, Palmier)
Mexican Cheese and Jalapenos
Indian Curry Filling (Mashed Potato & Veggies)

Spending time with my folks = getting new recipes...

So, here I am...playing catch up once again. :( 

My household has been a little topsy turvy lately but, we are slowly settling back into life and trying to move on (ha! no pun intended).  I haven't tried many new things... cooking has become a chore and baking has found it's place only in words from recipe books and online pages....

Hoping that 2013 doesn't pass me up as fast as 2012 seems to be...

So, here's a couple of recipes my mom shared with me that she got from her friends... we tried them out as well and liked them.  The first one is an "Indianized" Carrot Cake... and it's Eggless too. Those who know me well, know that my attempts at making eggless items haven't turned out well... actually, they are less than edible! ;-)  So, with my skeptical self, I tried it out.  I hope you will give it a try too. :)

The second recipe below is a rice dish, sort of like a pulao. It was great with yogurt or a simple cucumber raita. :) It was new to us and we enjoyed it...good luck!

Eggless Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups Flour 

(A.P. flour, Chapathi flour or Whole Wheat flour are ok)

3/4 - 1 cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

Cardamom powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp OR to taste

2/3 cup Oil

1 1/2 cups Grated Carrot

1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts

1/2 cup Yogurt - OR Buttermilk

(if you use buttermilk, leave out salt)

1/4 tsp Salt

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir the dry ingredients together first and then add in the wet.  The batter will be quite stiff, so it's best to just use your hand.  :)  

Bake in a 9" X 13" Greased Cake Pan at 350 degrees.  Check first at around 25 minutes.  It may need more time depending on your oven.  

Do the toothpick test and once it comes out clean, the cake is done.  

Wait until it cools (if you can...) ;)

 

Mint and Cilantro Rice

1 tsp. cinnamon (dalchini)^
1 tsp. cloves (lavang)^
2 Cardamom pods (eliache)^
1 tsp. fennel seeds (somph)^
^saute the above in a little oil

a few curry leaves
1 bunch cilantro leaves
1 1/2" piece of ginger, chopped
6 green chilies (to taste or less if you want it milder)

2 onions*
2 cloves of garlic*
1 bunch mint leaves*
*saute the above in oil

Transfer all the above ingredients into blender jar, add 1/3 cup coconut and some water and grind into a paste.

In a separate bowl have boiled 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup peas, and 1/2 cup green beans ready.  Add those to the paste.

In a separate pan take a little bit of clarified butter (ghee) and a handful of cashews (more if you'd like) :)  Fry them until golden brown. 
Then add all ingredients into one pan and saute them well.  When everything comes together add 1 1/2 cups cooked rice. Add salt to taste.  Mix together well.
Enjoy! :)
 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi,

Here's a super easy trick to add a little something fun for your next treat. :) 

Cookie cutters!!  They're so very easy to use, come in every possible shape and size these days and the kids just love them. At least mine still does. ;) 

Here's hoping you have a fabulous day spending time with you and yours! :)