Wild rice patties and the SRC

April 30, 2012 in Uncategorized

The moment I got my assignment for the month of April from The Secret Recipe Club, I was super-excited! Why, you ask? Well, my assigned blog was Fried Ice and Donut Holes. With a name like that, I was sure it was going to a be a fun blog to go through! This blog is run by Melissa, and you must visit her About Me page to understand the name of her blog.

Though I spent a lot of time browsing through Melissa’s recipes, I knew very early on as to what I would be making. I stumbled upon this recipe for Wild Rice Patties during my first few days on her blog, and I knew this was it. The reason for that being, that I had brought back some wild rice from a trip to the US last year, and I’ve been looking for different things to do with it. The only thing I used it for till now was a Wild Rice Pilaf. Now you don’t get wild rice in India, and I brought back hardly half a kilo, so I’ve really been stingy in using it. For this recipe, I used a mix of red and wild rice. I also substituted the mushrooms with artichokes, as I’m not a big mushroom fan. It was a fairly simple recipe, but the patties did not really hold together very well, and I had to be extremely careful while turning them around. But the taste is so good, that you wouldn’t mind even if they break! The taste of the red and wild rice is so nutty, the texture nice and chewy, and the flavors were just perfect. If you can get your hands on wild rice, or even red rice, this is a must-try!

For 8 patties:

1 cup cooked wild rice, room temperature
1 cup cooked red rice, room temperature
1/4 cup artichokes, chopped
1 egg (I used egg replacer powder)
3 tablespoons Chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Mint, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the rice, artichokes, chives, mint, salt, and pepper and mix well. Divide the rice mixture into 8 patties. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the rice patties to the pan, press down with a spatula, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the patties over and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown.



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Pumpkin Pie and The Secret Recipe Club

March 26, 2012 in Baking, Cointreau, Desserts, Eggless

Can’t believe it’s already time for my 2nd Secret Recipe Club reveal! With a long holiday in between and setting up a new business, I’ve not even had time for another post between the two reveals. But I’m glad I was able to make the time and complete my challenge. Because the results were absolutely delicious!

This month, I was assigned Sarah’s blog Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. Her blog gave me a lot to choose from, and in the end I went with a made-from-scratch Pumpkin Pie. This was my first time making a pumpkin pie. I’d never even eaten it before. It’s something so foreign to India, you never really get a chance to have it unless you travel abroad or make it yourself. I have recently discovered my love for pumpkin, so I knew I would surely like a pumpkin pie. And I did. I really really liked it! Thank you Sarah!

I just made a few changes. Skipped the egg in the crust and used egg replacer powder for the pumpkin filling. I also skipped the cloves (not a fan!) and I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup. The crust was nice and flaky, though I feel I could have rolled it thinner. But overall the pie was delicious. I just couldn’t believe it was pumpkin!

For the pie crust (makes 2 pie crusts):

3 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 tsp. salt
5 to 7 tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vinegar

Directions:

Cut together flour, shortening and salt until it resembles cornmeal. Combine the water and vinegar in a separate bowl. Knead just until a soft dough forms. Divide into 2 parts, wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready, roll it out.

Fit into a pie dish and use with your favorite pie.

For the filling:

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 2/3 cup sweet condensed milk
2 eggs (I used egg replacer powder)

Directions:

Whisk sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, condensed milk and eggs into the pumpkin puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 325 F and cook for another 45 minutes. Serve as it is or with whipped cream or ice cream.



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Mint-chocolate cupcakes and The Secret Recipe Club

February 27, 2012 in Baking, Cake, Desserts, Eggless

I had been reading about The Secret Recipe Club on various food blogs since a while now. It was quite an intriguing idea to me, being assigned a food blog and cooking up some delicious recipe from their blog while keeping it a secret. And someone else doing the exact same thing from your blog! I wanted in on this group as well. So I signed up and waited for a couple of months to get accepted. I was thrilled to know last month that I was in and couldn’t wait to get started!

This is my very first time with The Secret Recipe Club, and I am super-excited about my first reveal!  I was assigned the blog K and K Test Kitchen, run by the mother-daughter duo of Kim and Kelsey. My first thought was about how sweet it was that a mother and daughter were doing something like this together. Then I spent much time browsing through their collection of recipes, being tempted by many, and not being able to decide what to make. Finally I stumbled upon a recipe for Vegan Mint Chocolate Cupcakes that I had to make. Them being vegan was a big draw. And they looked so good. Of course, I made them vegetarian and not vegan.

And the result? I can just say “wow”! They were so moist and fluffy, it was hard to believe they were eggless. I was a little worried when the batter was so thin, but they turned out absolutely fine. I took them to a friend’s birthday and they vanished in no time!

I did make a few changes. Regular milk instead of soy milk. Canola oil instead of vegetable oil. And I did a chocolate ganache frosting with powdered mint in it, instead of doing a chocolate ganache and then mint icing on top of it. I must say that the mint-chocolate frosting was finger-licking good!

For 24 Mint Chocolate Cupcakes:

Cupcake

2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
½ cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ cup boiling water

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

400 gms dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsps powdered mint

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

For the cupcake batter

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the milk, oil, vanilla and vinegar, mix for 2 min. Stir in the boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the ganache frosting

Chop chocolate and transfer into a bowl. Heat the cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, but don’t let it boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined. Add the powdered mint. Stir until combined. Let cool until at spreading consistency.

Using a pastry bag, pipe the frosting on top of the cupcake (if you don’t have a pastry bag, fill a Ziploc and cut a tip).

Top with your favourite sprinkles and dig in.

© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Cointreau Chocolate truffles….three ways

February 15, 2012 in Cointreau, Cookies, Desserts, Eggless

Welcome to the all-new VeggieWiz! Yes….I have finally moved to my own domain. And yes, that’s what has kept me away from blogging for a while. It turned out to be a much bigger task than I imagined. And very time-consuming. And it’s still not done! But I was keen to get started on the new site, so here I am. Please do give me your feedback about the new look and website.

To celebrate this move, I have something sinful and delicious to share with you. A trio of Cointreau chocolate truffles. I made these as a Valentine’s Day surprise for the husband. And boy, was he thrilled! Truffles are a real delight. They are pretty easy to make and look so elegant. Perfect for special occasions or even as gifts. I used Cointreau to flavour them but you could also use cognac, brandy,  rum, Grand Marnier, or Kahlua to name a few. Or skip the alcohol altogether. Though I wouldn’t recommend it. A dash of alcohol gives truffles a yummy kick!

To coat the truffles you could use a classic like cocoa powder, a tough-to-handle one like tempered (melted)  chocolate, or choose something to give it added texture, like toasted and chopped Nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), toasted coconut, shaved chocolate, or even cookie crumbs. I did a trio of cocoa powder, roasted almonds, and vanilla cookie crumbs.

For 25-30 truffles:

250 grams semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces (I used 40%)

120 ml heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons Cointreau

For the coatings -

Chopped almonds (roasted)

Cocoa powder

Vanilla cookies (crumbled)

 

Bring the whipping cream to a simmer in a small, heavy saucepan. Keep stirring.

Stir the Cointreau into the cream.

Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth, thus making the ganache.

Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours.

Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Roll the ganache balls in the desired toppings and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.

 

© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Singapore Take-Out in Delhi

February 14, 2012 in Event

When I got an invite to experience Singapore Takeout, a traveling pop-up kitchen on a global tour, I was immediately intrigued by the innovatove concept. The idea of a container traveling from one city to another and transforming into a kitchen with some great chefs dishing out Singaporean delights….I was sold! After making it’s way through London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Singapore Takeout delighted Delhi foodies at ITC Maurya from January 13th – 15th 2012. The next stop for the mobile kitchen would be Sydney. 

The event was organised by SPICE, Singapore International Culinary Exchange, an international gastronomic initiative collaboratively fronted by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and SPRING Singapore. With the intention of establishing Singapore as a global culinary capital and a must-visit food destination, Singapore Takeout presents unique and exciting Singapore-inspired cuisine to the public. At each city, select Singapore-based chefs work together with chefs from each of the respective cities presenting dishes inspired by Singapore’s flavours and ingredients.
 
I waited with immense anticipation along with my other food blogger friends for the pop-up kitchen to open. And pop-up it did….literally! It was amazing to see the beautiful kitchen that was housed inside the big container. And even more interesting to see the three talented chefs working their magic inside it. 
 
Photo courtesy Prateik @ Snow Leapards Blog
During the three-day stopover, Singapore Chef Benjamin Seck from True Blue Cuisine teamed up with two top chefs from ITC Hotels, Chef Manisha Bhasin and Chef Rajkamal Chopra, to serve up a mouth-watering selection of Singapore-inspired dishes to Delhi’s culinary aficionados. The resulting dishes were a delicious fusion of Indian and Singaporean cuisine. 
Among other things, Chef Benjamin Seck made his vegetarian Popiah Goreng (deep fried spring rolls) filled with a filling of shredded cabbage and carrot. They tasted absolutely yummy with the sweet red chilli sauce. 
 
Chef Rajkamal recreated Laksa Pulao, which he showcased during the Singapore Takeout launch in Singapore in April 2011. It was definitely my favorite of the day. Laska pulao is so called due to the laska leaf that it uses. The laska leaf is an aromatic and citrusy herb bursting with flavour. Too bad that we don’t get it in India! But I was glad I got the chance to taste it that day.
 
 Photo courtesy Prateik @ Snow Leapards Blog
For 6 servings:
300 gms french beans
50 gms almonds
500 gms basmati rice
60 gms ghee (clarified butter)
30 gms laska leaves, chopped
20 gms turmeric powder
20 gms ginger, minced
20 gms garlic, minced
40 gms onions, chopped
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
salt 
pepper
Trim the french beans, cut into two, and boil till tender. Remove and place them in ice water. 
Blanch the almonds, peel and then split them in half from the center. 
Clean and soak the rice in water for 20 mins.
Heat the ghee in a pan, add the ginger, garlic, onion and chillies. Sautee till the onions are translucent. Then add the turmeric, beans and laska leaves.
In a thick-bottomed pan, add the rice and 500 ml water. Then add the almonds, and sauteed vegetables paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on a low flame until all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked. Serve hot garnished with fried onions.
Foodies can continue to follow the Singapore Takeout journey at www.facebook.com/singaporeeats

© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Celebrating Emilia-Romagna at Italia

December 15, 2011 in Italian

This winter, Italia, the Italian restaurant at DLF Promenade, is celebrating the cuisine and flavours of Emilia–Romagna, a region situated in the Northern Italy. The region is famous for its fresh & stuffed pasta like tortellini, lasagne, tagliatelle and cappeletti, and also polenta, a maize-based dish. The celebrated balsamic vinegar is made exclusively in the Emilian cities of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and my favourite parmigiano reggiano cheese is also produced only in this region.
I was lucky enough to sample their menu over a lovely dinner featuring the various authentic cuisines of this region in a way that is contemporary yet elegant. For antipasti, I had a Poached pears, grapes & gorgonzola salad, along with a Pumpkin mash with goat cheese mousse. The latter was a delicious dish with a good balance of flavours. For mains, I enjoyed a Tagliatelle with sundried tomatoes and beans, and a Creamy polenta with sage & garlic. The flavours of the Potato gnocchi with baby spinch and gorgonzola were quite delightful, though the gnocchi itself was a little doughy. Maybe it would have worked if the gnocchi was a little smaller. For dessert I had the Tiramisu of course. It was quite yummy with a good kick of coffee and rich mascarpone. Another delicious dessert was the Chestnut and chocolate pudding, rich and chocolately.
The menu also offers soups, gnocchi, risotto, pizzas and several interesting desserts. Try out the rich flavours of Emilia-Romagna and enjoy a delightful gastronomic journey at Italia!
Italia
2nd Floor
DLF Promenade Mall
Vasant Kunj
Delhi
© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Fruit Cake

December 9, 2011 in Baking, Cake, Christmas, Desserts

December is my favourite month of the year. The air is festive, pretty decorations are all around, people are happy, the weather is lovely, holidays are around the corner….and it’s my birthday month (and I’m turning 30 this Monday)! So it’s celebration time! With a nice chill in the air, it’s the perfect time to bake. The house smells delicious with all the cinnamon and apples and chocolate. And it’s at this time of the year that I actually look forward to opening the oven and feeling the warmth, unlike the summer months when I dread the blast of hot air.

With Christmas upon us soon, I made my first fruit cake of the year last week. I wonder why though…because it’s so good that it should be made all year round!  My dried fruits had been soaking in a mixture of rum, cognac, and whiskey for 2 weeks now. If you havnt soaked your dried fruits yet soak them NOW! You still have time. Though traditionally the soaking period should be around a month, even a week is good enough for all the flavours to soak in. This booze-soaked mixture of dried fruits, candied peels and ginger is called mincemeat. Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with meat. Makes you wonder about the name! But that’s a thought for another day. Once your mincemeat is ready, you’re all set to bake!

I used a recipe from my friend Deeba’s blog, Passionate about baking. I skipped the garam masala and just used cinnamon and nutmeg to spice my cake. This recipes makes 2 cakes, so you could halve it if you want just one. Though, I suggest making 2, as it’s so good that it’ll be gone sooner than you can imagine! I made one using a loaf pan and the other using a round baking pan.

 

1 kg mincemeat (soaked dried fruits from here, strained)

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
300 gms unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
5 eggs (I used Egg replacer powder)
3/4 cup caramel syrup
1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 150C.

Put the strained soaked fruit in a big bowl. Add 3 cups flour, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and toss well so that the fruit is completely coated. Keep aside.
Stir coffee into caramel syrup. Keep aside.
Beat the butter and sugar till soft and fluffy. Then add the eggs and beat well again. Now add the caramel syrup and vanilla extract and mix well. Add baking powder and whisk again.
Pour this batter over the flour and fruit mixture and stir well with spatula to blend uniformly.
Pour batter into lined loaf pans/baking tins and bake at 150C until the top appears done when you touch it.  It took about 1 hour for the loaf pan, and almost 11/2 hours for my 10inch round pan.
Let it cool completely before turning it out and cover completely to store.
© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Cointreau. Nutella. Cinnamon. Cake.

December 5, 2011 in Baking, Cake, Cointreau, Desserts, Eggless

When chocolate and orange and cinnamon come together, you know you have a winner on hand. The husband’s verdict was that this is easily one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! The flavours complement each other perfectly, and the glazing works like magic. It comes together real quick and it’s eggless too.
Nutella always makes things better! And the same goes for this cake. I used a bundt cake tin, as I believe the glazing looks beautiful in that shape. But you can surely go ahead and use any mould that you have. If you want to skip the Cointreau, you could replace it plus the quantity of water with orange juice. But of course, use Cointreau if you can!
For one 9-10 inch cake:
220 gms flour
30 gms cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
120 gms unsalted butter
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
400 gms condensed milk
50 ml Cointreau (orange liqueur)
50 gms Nutella
120 ml lukewarm water

For the Cointreau glaze:
15 ml Cointreau
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp fine orange zest
Preheat your oven to 180 C. Grease your baking tin.
In a big bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon powder and make sure there are no lumps. Use a sieve/sifter if you have one. Keep aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar. Then add the vanilla extract and condensed milk and mix well. Keep aside.
In another small bowl, add the Cointreau, Nutella and water. Mix it well into a smooth liquid. Add it to the butter-condensed milk mixture. Whisk it well until you have a uniformly smooth batter. Then add half the flour mixture into it and mix well. Follow with the remaining half of the flour mixture and beat well. You should have a smooth batter.
Pour batter into the greased baking tin and bake in the oven for 30-35 mins until a knife inserted into it comes out clean.
Let the cake cool and then make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and mix together. Pour over the cake and keep it aside for an hour so that the glazing sets.
© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Bagel with cream cheese and rocket pesto

November 25, 2011 in Appetizer, Bread, Condiments and preserves, Dips and sauces, Italian, Pasta

Rocket pesto. Don’t you just love the sound of it?! Makes you wonder what it’s about. Fun name too. Rocket leaves are also known as arugula leaves, but the latter doesn’t sound even half as interesting. I had never heard of rocket leaves until I lived in Paris a few years back. Once I discovered the zingy and peppery salad leaves, I fell in love with them. So much so that I would use them for all my salads if possible. Pink grapefruit and rocket salad is one of my favorites.
When I came back to Delhi, I was thrilled to see that these lovely leaves were available here as well, and were being used in many dishes on restaurant menus. Alas, finding good, fresh, unwilted rocket leaves is a rarity. I’ve been wanting to make rocket pesto since a while, but somehow never manage to find enough nice leaves for it. This week when I did manage to get a whole big bunch, I knew I had to make the pesto right away. Rocket pesto is pretty much the same as basil pesto in terms of the process and ingredients, but with a whole different zing to it. And the best part is, you don’t have to worry about it oxidising and losing its bright green color!
For 1 small jar of rocket pesto:
2 cups rocket leaves (packed)
1/2 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
3-4 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper
Wash and rinse the leaves well. Peel the garlic cloves and rough-chop. Combine all the ingredients in a grinder and grind on low speed churning into a paste.
You can use rocket pesto just like basil pesto…in pasta, sandwiches, sauces, dips, over roasted potatoes…even on pizza! I made myself a yummy lunch with a wholewheat bagel smeared with some creamcheese, pesto and then topped with some oven-roasted tomatoes. You could also use sun-dried tomatoes from the stores, or make yourself a batch at home. Here’s how. The rocket pesto will easily last upto a week if stored in the fridge in an air-tight container. You could also freeze it for future use. So go ahead and make some right away, and add a whole new flavour to your food!
© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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Couscous salad with zucchini n corn

November 21, 2011 in Appetizer, Middle Eastern, Pasta, Salads

If you have never tried couscous, then you must put it right on top of your food-to-try list! A couscous salad makes for a delicious meal or even an appetizer…..hearty and light at the same time. And it is simple. Really simple. And quick. As long as you get the flavours right, there is very little that you can do wrong with a couscous salad. It’s also a great option when you’re cooking-for-one! It is one of my go-to food when the husband is traveling and I’m eating by myself.
Couscous is a healthy and light alternative to pasta. It is in fact a type of pasta, but much healthier in terms of nutrients. Extremely popular in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, it can also be used in stews and sauces apart from in salads. You can really play with different ingredients as far as flavours go. Lemon and mint or lemon and parsley are good basic seasonings. You can then add any few vegetables of your choice, ranging from zucchini, bell peppers, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, beans, olives, avocadoes …..you get the picture! Feta cheese is also a great topping to a couscous salad, as are some pine nuts.
Couscous is best made shortly before it’s served. You can keep all the veggies chopped and ready. Cook the couscous and add the veggies and seasonings. Keep covered for 15-20 mins so all the flavours can soak in. Then serve at room temperature.
For 4 servings:
1 cup instant couscous
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsps olive oil
1 zucchini, chopped small
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp chopped parsley
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
Place couscous in a big bowl.
Heat water in a pan. Add the olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches a boil, and pour over the couscous. Cover with a lid and leave for 10 mins.
Remove lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the zucchini, corn, parsley, lemon and pepper, and mix lightly. Keep covered for 15 mins. Garnish with tomatoes, and serve at room temperature.
© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

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