Easy Potato Salad

I hope you all enjoyed this Weekend, for some of my Friends this is long weekend. Enjoy the rest of the long weekend with your family. Today, am coming with Easy Potato Salad with Boiled Egg to share you all. Here, in South Africa Mashed Potato is popular, Sometimes here people have the mashed potatoes with Baked Beans for their main meal. It taste very good with baked beans and rolls with grilled Chicken. I will post it soon that recipe, here is the recipe for Easy Potato Salad as follows:

Ingredients:

1.Cubed Boiled Potato - 1 big

2.Garlic Mayo - 2 tbsp

3.White Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

4.Salt to taste

5.Boiled Egg - 1 jumbo

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients except boiled egg, transfer to the serving bowl. Halve the boiled egg and place it on the top of the Salad. You can also add the crisp lettuce, grated carrot and Shredded Cabbage to this salad. Now the Healthy and Simple Potato Salad is ready tom serve with rolls.

Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing

Chocolate cake is my Hubby's favourite one, I baked this cake for our Wedding Anniversary (27th May) and made Icing with Caramel. My Hubby gave me a lot of Surprise gifts, the whole day was lined up with continuous surprise gifts. In the evening, I gave him a surprise with his favourite Chocolate Cake. It came out very perfect Soft n Spongy Chocolate Cake, My Hubby enjoyed this cake very much on yesterday. He doesn't like the Icing with heavy Cream, So everytime I do different Icing without using Cream. This Caramel Icing is very easy one no hard times with it, very simple to make it in 5 mts melting the store bought caramel filling n topping with cadbury's dairy milk brown chocolate. Here, is the recipe for Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Cake flour - 1 cup
2.Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
3.Whole Eggs - 3 no's
4.Castor sugar - 3/4 cup
5.Canola Oil - 1/2 cup
6.Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
7.Baking Powder - 2 tsp
8.Boiling water - 1/2 cup

Preparation:

1.Pre-heat the Oven to 350 deg F, Put the eggs and castor sugar in a mixing bowl and beat it nicely for 5 mts with an electric beater till it turns white.
2.Add oil to the mixture, beat it in high for 5 mts.
3.Follow with Vanilla essence and baking powder beat it nicely. Now in tea cup measure the cocoa powder to 3/4 portion and add the hot boiling water with the cocoa powder. Mix it nicely with the spoon, now pour the thick cocoa mixture to the mixing bowl.( Now we used little bit of boiling water with cocoa powder totally the water we need to use is 1/2 cup add more boiling water according to it ).
4. Beat it nicely for 5 mts, now add the cake flour to the mixture beat it well in high for 2 mts.
5.Grease the baking pan and place the wax sheet on it, pour the cake mixture in the baking pan. One thing I made a mistake, try to beat it nicely the cake mixture with the fork before pouring into baking pan have to avoid the air bubbles.
6.After Pouring into the baking pan only I saw the air bubbles, I couldn't do anything on that time.
7.But Other thing came out perfect, bake it for 20 - 25 mts. Check it with the tooth pick.
8.Leave it to cool for 30 mts. It should be completely cool while we do the Icing.

Ingredients for Icing:

1.Nestle Caramel filling and Topping - 1 can ( I used 5 tbsp from the can )
2.Cadbury's chocolate - 60g ( I used 2 small bars)
3.Sugar balls for garnishing.

Preparation:

1.Use Double Boiler pot or Normal Steel pot topped with glass bowl to melt the Chocolate. Allow the water to boil in cooking pot place one glass bowl on top of the pot to melt the caramel and chocolate.
2.Put the caramel and 2 cadbury's bar to the glass bowl use the spoon to stir it well.
3.Gently stir the mixture till it turns soft ( Cadbury's bar is easy to melt quickly than other baking bars)
4.Now make it to smooth paste, apply on all sides of the cake and garnish with sugar balls or any other chocolate pipes of your choice.
5.Now the Perfect Soft n Spongy Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing is ready to serve.

Home Made Mushroom and Bell Pepper Pizza

This week , I baked Mushroom n Bell Pepper Pizza for us. Home-made Pizza is very healthy and Quick to bake n make, We can do the toppings for our preference. Two weeks before, I tried to bake pizza  but the weather plays a massive role for raising the dough it gone off and I baked rolls for us with that dough. This week is nice weather Sunny days, even last time I kept the dough inside the oven but it didn't came out right this time I kept my dough in direct Sunlight it came out perfect for all the 3 times raising.

This Pizza dough measurement I gave it here for thin n crispy base and it yields 4 bases can store the each base seperately in cling wrap and keep it inside the fridge use within 1 week, for this weekend We have invited our frenz for Dinner get-together. So, I planned to bake Pizza with different toppings for them for that made extra base and kept inside the fridge. I like the thin n Crispy base with the veggies should be in chunk size but, my Hubby prefers thick base with the veggies should be in small pieces. We doesn't like the Mozarella cheese, cos sometimes We feel heart burn after having the Pizza with Mozarella topping at the last We won't feel pleasant dinner. So, I used reduced low fat Cheddar cheese for my cheese topping. Next time i will give the recipe for thick base. Here, is the recipe for Mushroom and Pepper Pizza as follows,

Ingredients for Pizza Base:

1.Cake flour - 4 cups ( i used tea cups to measure)
2.Instant yeast - 1 package
3.Salt -  1 tsp
4.Hot water - as reqd to knead the dough ( Not boiling hot water, Use bearable drinking hot water)
5.Canola Oil - 2 tbsp.

Ingredients for Topping:

1.Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
2.Mrs.Balls Sauce ( Hot chutney) - 1 tbsp ( Use the sauce you like)
3.Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 medium ( cut into bit big pieces)
4.Sliced Red Onion - 4 tbsp
5.Pineapple Chunks - 3 tbsp
6.Sliced Button Mushroom - 5 no's
7.Sliced Baby Romanita tomatoes - 4 no's
8.Reduced low fat Cheddar Cheese Shavings - 4 tbsp

Preparation of Pizza Base :

1.Take one big bowl, add the Cake flour, Yeast, Salt and 1tbsp Canola oil. Mix it together with the help of the Spoon or Wooden Spatula, Pour little by little the hot water meanwhile mix the flour mixture with the spatula.
2.At one stage, you will feel the water is enough to add then stop pouring water now start to knead the dough with your hands apply little bit of oil and knead it nicely.
3.Apply little bit of oil on top of the dough, Cover the bowl with black plastic and keep it in direct Sunlight for 30 mts. ( Usually i keep the dough inside the warm Oven, but this time i kept in under direct Sunlight)
4.After 30 mts, Check the dough it will raise till the edge of the bowl. Punch down the dough, again cover the bowl with the black plastic and keep it under direct Sunlight for another 30 mts likewise do the same for twice.
5.Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F, after kept the dough under Sun for twice now knock it down and make 4 equal balls out of the dough.
6.Roll down each ball in floured surface to thin round shape, apply oil to the plate in which you are going to bake.
7.Place the rolled pizza in the greased plate and poke all the sides of the rolled pizza with the fork.
8.Bake it for 5-10 mts, till it half done. Again, we are going to bake it with the toppings at that time it will bake completely.

Preparation for the Pizza Toppings:

1.Now mix both the sauces in one bowl, apply it on all sides of the Pizza base.
2.Spread the veggies n Pineapple Chunks on the pizza, Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese shavings on top of it.
3.Bake it in 350 deg F for 10 mts or till the cheese melts. I like the Juicy veggies, for that I bake the veggies for 5 mts before adding the cheese and then sprinkle the cheese bake it till it melts.
4.Slice the Pizza with the pizza cutter, now the Home-made Mushroom and Pepper Pizza is ready to serve hot.

Easy Cheesy Rigatoni pasta in Basil Pesto Sauce

The Pasta recipes with sauce can make quickly and very easy to cook for any time. Mostly, i don't use sauces for my Pasta recipes cook only with veggies n egg it gives fresh flavour and good taste. My Hubby like the Basil Pesto sauce flavour, sometimes i use this sauce with linguine this time used for Rigatoni  and added little bit of creamy white sauce came out very good and easy to cook for quick dinner sure kids will love it. We enjoyed this Basil Pesto pasta with a bowl of soup with Ciabatta rolls tasted very good for our dinner.

Ingredients:

1.Uncooked Rigatoni - half package
2.Basil Pesto sauce - 2 tbsp
3.Butter or Margerine - 1tbsp
4.Cake flour or Maida - 1 tbsp
5.Parmesan Cheese Shavings - 3 tbsp
6.Milk - 1/2 cup
7.Salt n Pepper for seasoning

Preparation:

1.Cook the Rigatoni according to package instructions. After it got cooked drain in collander and keep it aside.
2.Heat the butter or margerine in pot, add the cake flour stir it well cook in medium fire. After 5 mts of stirring, take off the pot from the fire add milk to the mixture mix it well till it combines.
3.Add the cheese shavings n keep it in fire for 5 mts.
4.In the same pot add the basil pesto sauce, stir it well cook in medium fire for 5 mts. Then add the cooked pasta n follow with salt n pepper. Close the pot with the lid after 5 mts check the seasonings.
5.Now the Creamy Cheesy Rigatoni in Basil Pesto Pasta is ready to serve hot with a bowl of Hot Soup and Bread rolls .

Broccoli in Cheese Sauce

Broccoli is good for health rich in vitamins and also very easy to cook just by steaming or stir frying. Here, I used purple broccoli and reduced fat cheddar cheese for my Hubby's dinner. Often i make this one with mixed veggies this time simply with broccoli, he enjoyed it very much. Sure, you guys also try this healthy recipe and enjoy with your family. Weekend is here, hope you all guys planned the programme with your family and shopping for this weekend.  Enjoy your Weekend. Here, is the recipe for Broccoli in Cheese sauce as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Broccoli florets - Use accor to you prefer i used 1 cup
2. Margerine or Butter - 1 tbsp
3.Cake flour or maida - 1 tbsp
4.Milk - 1/2 cup ( add more milk if u like to get thin sauce)
5.Grated Reduced low fat cheddar cheese - 1 strip or 2 tbsp
6.Black pepper or white pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
7.Salt - as reqd

Preparation:

1.Cut the broccoli into small florets, clean it and steam it in steamer ( i used idli pot) for 5 mts.
2.Heat the butter or margerine in the pot in medium flame, add the cake flour to the butter stir it well till it turns thick and remove the pot from the stove and add the milk stir it well with the spoon.
3.Now add the salt n pepper to the mixture stir it again with the spoon, leave it to cook in low flame till it turns thick sauce.
4. After the white sauce get ready now remove the pot from the fire and add the grated cheddar cheese and mix it well till it turns creamy texture.
5.Now arrange the steamed broccoli in the serving plate and pour the Cheese Sauce over it on all sides. Now the Broccoli in Cheese Sauce is ready to serve hot.

Salmon Fish Fry

Salmon is my favourite variety of fish it taste delicious when it is fried and also good for health rich in Omega 3. I like the colour of  fish, before marriage my amma often cook fried fish for us. But, we get only dam fish in our amma's place if we need to buy sea fish then have to go Fish market. My Hubby was born and raise in Coastal place, but he doesn't like to eat fish. He use to choose the good taste fish for me from our fish market here and sometimes cook fish fry for me but he never tasted even a single bit piece. After marriage only i started to eat and cook the  Prawns n Crabs, before that i never seen it in our mom's place. This week is Meen Vaaram (Fish Week) in my house going to cook different fish on daily, today am planning to make Butter fish kulambu first time in my life.

My Hubby brought me different variety of fish for this week, yesterday i cooked the Salmon fish fry tried from my Sister-in-law Sridevi's recipe in her blog and it tasted very good. My Great Chef Hubby and SIL are good in cooking all kinds of foods esp Seafood. Both of them showed interest in cooking from their childhood that time itself they discovered new recipes in their kitchen still it is continuing. I like all the recipes from my SIL's blog esp this Salmon Fish Fry and Rasgulla, don't miss to check out in her space. Here, is the recipe for the Salmon Fish Fry as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Salmon steaks - 2 pieces
2.Red Chilli Powder - 3 tsp (I use kashmiri red chilli powder it won't taste too strong, you can use accor to ur preference)
3.Salt as reqd
4.Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
5.Canola Oil - approx 2 tbsp
6.Curry leaves few strings

Preparation:

1.Clean the Salmon Steaks, add the chilli and turmeric powders, curry leaves, salt and 1 tsp oil ( i use little bit of oil while marinating the fish, it helps to stick the masalas to the fish you can also avoid the oil).
2.Leave it to marinate for 1 - 2 hrs and also you can store the marination in air tight box keep it inside the freezer can use it easily for any time.
3.After Marination, heat the 1 tbsp of oil in non-stick small frying pan and fry the marinated Salmon fish on all sides can add the oil if required while frying.(adding curry leaves while frying gives nice flavour and the crispy curry leaves taste good with fish fry)
4.Now the Tender and Succulent Salmon fish Fry is ready to serve hot with hot Rasam rice. The best accompaniment for Fish fry is with Rasam Rice, taste very good i always enjoy fish fry with this combination.

Chilli Bites

Today am coming with My hubby's Cooking, Chilli Bites. He tried this chilli bites on his own style of cooking came out very tasty. He tried in new way of adding cheese in Bajji, actually this idea came out for him cos of low fat cheddar cheese sometimes he doesn't like the taste of low fat cheese wants to try some strong snack then ended up with our indian style chilli bites. We enjoyed this chilli bites with hot steak chutney tasted mild strong n good for winter day evening.Yesterday, i couldn't post no recipes cos of Internet problem and couldn't see my fellow bloggers recipes today i will check all your new recipes. Here, is the recipe for Chilli Bites as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Green Chilli Peppers - 6 no's
2.Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese - cut into 6 small size fit into chilli
3.Chickpea flour/ Gram Flour - 1 cup
4.Bi - carb - a small pinch
5.Salt - to taste
6.Canola oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1.Heat the canola oil in one deep pan, meanwhile cut the Chilli peppers like in the pisture n remove those seeds inside, wash it with cold water.
2.Stuff the low fat cheddar cheese slits into the chillies.
3.Mix a cup pf gram flour with enough salt n a pinch of bi-carb. Add little bit of water, the consistency of the batter should be bit thick.
4.Dip the stuffed chilli peppers into the batter and deep fry till it turns golden brown on top.
5.Now serve the Chilli Bites with your favourite chutney, we enjoyed this chilli bite with hot steak chutney.

Risoni Salad

Risoni is one kind of pasta looks like Rice and is available in all stores. Risoni salad taste good with mixed crisp veggies , fruits and nice salad dressing with Garlic Mayo r Vineigrette. But, in my salad i didn't used the salad dressing cos my Hubby wants to have plain salad. So, i just sprinkle little bit of extra virgin olive oil on top of it. While using olive oil, use normal olive oil (refined or pure) for cooking and extra virgin olive oil for salads. Here is the recipe for the Risoni salad as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Uncooked Risoni - 1 cup
2.Diced English cucumber - 5 tbsp
3.Chopped deseeded tomato - 1/2 medium
4.Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tsp
5.Cubed pine apple - 4 tbsp
6.Shredded pomegranate - 4 tbsp
7.Chopped Green Bell Pepper - 2 tbsp
8.Finely chopped fresh Carrot - 3 tbsp
9.Lemon Black Pepper - 1tsp

Preparation:

1.Cook Risoni according to package instructions. After 5 - 8 mts of cooking drain the Risoni in collander and keep it aside.
2.Take one deep bowl or salad bowl, mix all the ingredients except olive oil, pomegranate seeds and cooked risoni.
3.Now spread the cooked Risoni in serving plate and arrange the mixture on top of the risoni.
4.Sprinkle the extra virgin olive oil follow with pomegranate seeds on top of the Risoni salad.
5.Let it sit inside the fridge for 5 mts and then the Filling Risoni salad is ready to serve for Dinner. After having this salad you will feel complete n filling meal for dinner. After the salad have the Low fat flavoured yoghurt for the dessert, my Hubby enjoyed this Risoni Salad with Low fat Raspberry flavoured yoghurt.

Home Made Tortilla and Chicken Tortilla wrap

Before, We use store bought tortillas for our breakfast and sometimes for our getaway pack food. Here, one of my neighbour she has always make homemade tortillas for them. She only taught me how to make this easily by ourself and we can have the fresh tortillas than frozen one. She make and store nice round shaped tortillas for 2 days and keep it inside fridge covered with cotton cloth, i was also tried the tortilla on the same day she taught me it came out very well soo soft tortillas but only thing is mine not came in round shape rather in usual way resembles some other country maps so kindly bare with my tortilla shape. She also gave me an idea to use big cooking pot to shape our tortillas like we do for our cookies n for our pani pooris then it will come in shape.  My Hubby like this tortilla wrap with mixed veggies, chicken and mixed beans stuffing. Today, i have posted the tortilla wrap with store bought chicken burger pattice cos we use to have chicken burger while on our weekend getaway breakfast it is easy finger food to make quickly with mayonnaise and some other veggie stuffing.

Ingredients:

1.Cake flour - 3 cups
2.Butter - 2 finger size (put together the Index and middle finger on top of the butter and cut it)
3.Baking Powder - 3 tsp
4.Salt - 1 tsp

Preparation:

1.Mix all the ingredients together in one bowl and rub the butter with cake flour it turns like bread crumbs.
2.Add little bit of hot water ( bearable hot/Drinking hot). Make a soft dough out of it.
3.Now make small rotis or your prefered size.
4.Heat non-stick frying pan and toast the rotis to light brown colour (don't need to apply oil).
5.You can see small bubbles will raise while toasting and the colour of the roti change to light brown colour thats the texture for tortilla.
6.Then cover the tortillas with cotton towel.
7.Now the Homemade tortilla is ready to store and use immediately.
8.I made 8 tortillas out of this measurement and covered with cotton towel and put it inside fridge (don't keep in freezer). Next day just put in microwave for 10-20 secs then it will come to normal soft tortillas.
9.You can roll the rotis to even paper thin but for tortillas try to roll the rotis little bit thick like our chapathi and big in shape.

Ingredients for Chicken Pattice Tortilla Wrap:

1.Store bought chicken burger pattice - 1 piece
2.Crisp Lettuce - few leaves
3.Sliced red onion - few
4.Sliced deseeded tomato - 2 pieces
5.Garlic Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp
6.Sweet chilli sauce - 2 tsp

Preparation:

1.Bake the chicken burger pattice as in the package instruction and cut into thin strips. Spread the garlic mayonnaise on one side of tortilla and place the chicken pattice strips in the centre of the roti.
2.Arrange the sliced onion, tomatoes, teared lettuce leaves on the chicken strips.
3.Then squeeze little bit of sweet chilli sauce on top of the chicken n lettuce arrangement.
4.Now the Delicious Crispy Chicken Tortilla Wrap is ready to serve. We enjoyed this chicken tortilla wrap for our getaway day breakfast.

Left Over Chana Masala Rice

Last week, We tried this left over chana masala rice with Omlet. After our dinner chapathi with chana masala, next day had little bit of left over gravy have no idea what to cook with this little bit of gravy then my Hubby gave me an idea to cook something different with rice n veggies. Usually, i make rotis for next day also but now winter are here we like to have fresh n hot food. This was the first time i tried this rice came out very yummy with simple handy veggies. Here, is the recipe for the Left Over Chana Masala Rice as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Left Over Chana Masala Gravy - 1 cup
2.Cooked Basmathi Rice - 2 cups
3.Finely cubed Green bell pepper - 1/2 portion
4.Finely diced carrots and potatoes - 4 tbsp each
5.Frozen sweet corn - 3 tbsp
6.Finely chopped tomato - 1 medium
7.Chopped onions - 1/2 medium
8.Canola oil - 2 tbsp
9.Cumin/ jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp
10.Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
11.Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
12.Salt as reqd

Preparation:

1.Heat oil in the non-stick frying pan, season the cumin seeds follow with chopped onions saute it for a while till it turns transparent. Put the finely chopped potatoes in the pan, fry it nicely till it turns golden brown ( chop the potatoes finely then only it will cook in short time).
2.Then add chopped bell pepper, frozen corn and carrots, fry it for 5 mts ( no need to cook fully).
3.Put all the spice powders and salt, mix it well cook in medium flame follow with chopped tomatoes.
4.Close the pan with the lid allow the tomatoes cook to mash ( oil will leave around the edges).
5.Now add the chana masala gravy to the frying pan, stir it gently if oil need pour around the edges.
6.Leave it to cook till it turns half the portion of gravy.
7.Mix the cooked Basmathi rice to the pan and toss it well. After 5 mts of tossing tightly pack the rice like in the picture and close the pan with the lid leave it to cook for 5 mts.
8.Now the hot spicy left over chana masala rice is ready to serve with Omlet.

I am sending this Spicy yummy Chana Masala rice to Niloufer's -  Twenty - 20 cooking Event.

Fruit Cake

Fruit cake is simple and quick one to bake at any time. This cake i have learnt from our family friend Mohana akka here in my place, She taught me this cake how to mix n bake each n every step for my first time baking after my marriage.That time i was just noted down all the points and  the ingredients n preparation cos i was naive to baking the cake, but it came out in dark black colour and it gone straight to the bin. I was upset about my cake got flop at my first try but she was again taught me how to do in right form then i get to use of baking  and also came to know the things should n shouldn't do while baking. This fruit cake i have baked in last week, everytime while baking this one i come to remind about my first baked cake. Today, am going to share this Colourful Fruit cake as follows,

Ingredients:

1.Cake flour - 3 cups
2.Cake mix - 2 cups ( i used berry mix strawberry,bluebbery,kiwi n papino)
3.Chopped Cherries - 1/2 cup
4.Baking powder - 3 tsp
5.Bi carb soda - 2 tsp
6.Mixed Spices - 1/2 tsp
7.Condensed milk - 1 tin (385gms)
8.Margerine - 375 gms
9.Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
10.Almond Essence - 1tsp
11.Water measured from the same condensed milk tin.

Preparation:

1.Heat the water, condensed milk, margerine,Vanilla essence n Almond essence all in one pot. Put the fire in medium flame leave it to heat till the margerine melts then turn off the fire.(don't need to allow boil just margerine need to melt)
2.Now mix the cake flour, berries or cake mix, cherries, mixed spices, baking powder and bi carb soda  mix it together nicely with the help of spoon.(use wide deep bowl)
3.Mix both the wet and dry ingredients together and beat it nicely for 5 mts till it incorporate.
4.Grease your baking pan and pre-heat the oven to 350deg F. Transfer the cake mixture to the greased pan and bake it for 30 - 35 mts, after it baked check the cake with the tooth pick or with knife.
5.Leave it to cool in wire rack and then cut into slices and enjoy the colourful sweet fruits rich cake.

I am reposting some recipes which all inspired by my mom and am sending these recipes to Shabitha's CELEBRATING MOM'S EVENT:

Black Chana Curry/Kadala Curry

Kola Urundai/ Fried Meat Balls

Lamb Kuruma

Chicken Biryani

Masala Vadai/ Paruppu Vadai

Rice n Dal Payasam

Sandhagai/ Idiyappam/ String - hoppers

Venpongal

Brinjal Curry