Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate is always a welcome in my place either it be milk or dark. And its one of the best thing that  gives the divine taste with an elegant look to any dessert. Mousse is always that "out of the world" dessert. I have a bunch of chocolate lovers with me so trying anything out of chocolate is always a pleasure.The first time I tried mousse it turned out to be perfect, that airy, light and decadent.Its an easy make ahead dessert which became an anytime dessert at home.

This time the girls tried their luck making it and Viola! they got it too. When they were doing this happy dance I said ,"Shhh..it's ok girls, you got them in your genes"(I mean the cooking).

So its a pleasure to share the recipe.

No of Servings : 6

INGREDIENTS:

   Milk Chocolate Chips   - 10 ounce ( 8 ounce is a cup)
   Warm water                   - 1/4 cup
   Heavy Cream                -3/4 cup
   Egg Whites                  - 3 (At room temperature)
   Salt                               - A Pinch
   Chocolate Bar               - 1(Can be dark or white for garnishing)
   Whipped Cream           - For garnishing (optional)

METHOD:

  Combine the chocolate and water in a double boiler.(Or you can still use a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water). Let the chocolate  melt completely with occasional stirring.Once the chocolate is completely melted remove from heat and keep aside.
  Using an electric beater beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
   Separate the egg whites and yolks.In a clean dry bowl combine the eggs whites and salt and beat them  on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.(Use either a hand mixer or the stand mixer with whisk attachment). Using a metal spoon fold the egg whites into the cream.
      Now fold half the cream mixture into the melted chocolate until combined.Then fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a spatula just until no visible streaks are left.Spoon them into 6 individual dessert cups cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 6 hours.
 Top the mousse with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.


PS: Because we use raw eggs its always advisable to buy the pasturised eggs to avoid any allergies and always make it out of fresh eggs.
     

Dates Candy

DATES CANDY? May be we can call it a bar. Yup DATES BAR sounds better.
 Had this at a friend's place. He had this at his office when someone brought this during a festive season. I didn't really like it because I'm not a big fan of dates but my folks loved it because of the surprising element which popped in your mouth with every bite. So got the recipe from our friend who gave me approximate measurements and it took a few trials to reach perfection and the perfectionist is "Zei". Its pretty easy to make and stores well for about a month but refrigerated after a week, just in case and warm it up whenever you feel like having it. And the recipe credit goes to our friend, Brother Ismail.

INGREDIENTS:

Dates             - 1 cup (Chopped)
Almonds        - 1/2 cup (Chopped)
Edible Gum   - 1/4 cup
Poppy Seeds - 2 Tblsp
Ghee             - 4 Tblsp

METHOD:

            In a pan, roast the chopped dates in 2 tablespoon ghee, remove from the stove and keep them aside. Again add a tablespoon of ghee in the pan and roast the almond pieces. I usually prefer toasted almonds over raw because it gives that extra crunch. Remove and keep aside. Lower the flame and add another tablespoon or two of ghee in the pan and roast the edible gum. The edible gum, usually a thick yellowish brown stone like thing which eventually changes to pale color and bulges in size. At this stage remove from fire and break into pieces in a processor or a mortar and pestle . Now mix the roasted dates, almonds and the gum together and roll into the shape of a log. In a separate plate take the poppy seeds and roll the log over to cover and coat completely in poppy seeds. Cover with a wax paper and refrigerate for about an hour or two. Later slice them and serve.

Curry Leaves Chicken

Usually I look around for recipes but this one was a contribution from my Brother In Law who suggested this recipe from a TV Show? Or took the recipe from some Facebook page (If you imagine of him to be an excellent cook after trying this recipe, I’m sorry its not my fault and to add he is not a big fan of chicken too). So one Sunday morning when I got this recipe shared on my Facebook timeline, I thought of giving it a try immediately because it helped me save my Sun”day” by not brainstorming for a lunch idea.
 
   I have never tried or thought or heard about this recipe before and as always configured it to our taste. Give it a try and if you are a big fan of chicken, you are going to love it!

INGREDIENTS :

  Chicken – 1 lb (Bone in or Boneless
  Onion      - 1 big
 Tomato   - 1 big
 Green Chilies – 4 nos
 Sliced Garlic   - 1 tblsp
 Ginger Paste – 1 tsp
 Garlic Paste   - 1 tsp
 Coriander Leaves – ¼ cup (chopped)
 Dried Curry Leaves -1 cup
 Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
 Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
 Chilly Powder   -1 tsp
 Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
 Salt                    - To taste
 Coconut Oil         -4 tblsp

METHOD :

 Heat 3  tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat and add the sliced garlic and green chillies fry a bit and add chopped onions and fry until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic paste , fry until the raw smell goes off. Add the  tomatoes with a pinch of salt. Fry until the juices ooze out and add the dry masala powders one by one. Now add the chicken pieces (I don’t have to mention that the chicken have to be cut into desired pieces and cleaned and pat dry) along with salt.Fry for two to three minutes and then add the coriander leaves give them a stir. Cover and cook under medium heat for about 10 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. When almost done check for the seasonings and adjust to your taste. Remove the lid and let any water to evaporate and let the gravy thicken. Now crush the dried curry leaves and add along with the remaining oil and fry until dry.

 Serve as a side for rice or for any kind of bread or if you have so many chicken lovers at home as mine (lol!) serve as an evening snack along tea with masala tea.

Notes: If there is no dried curry leaves handy, just dry roast them in a pan and use.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

My little one wanted me to make " Butterfly Cup Cakes" for her Birthday to take to her preschool. This time I promised that I would make it for her and started my search through all these websites and that's when I stumped into Bakerella. The interesting part is not the website itself but another blogger the website introduced me to.  I later learned that she even hosts shows in Food Network. I'm happy I came to know about this blogger "Pioneer Woman" and started loving her shows. She is so vibrant and her cooking looks so simple and clutter free that one would love to try out her recipes.

   I have tried a number of her recipes but either I forgot to take pictures or they didn't turn out good (I mean the pictures). Thinking of a single pot wholesome food for lunch or an early supper on these cold days, I tried one of her soups "Broccoli-Cheese Soup" which was really yummy and hearty. It turned out to be perfect for the season and not to mention that everyone fell in love with it.
This might sound little heavy but we can always watch our calories pairing with skim or fat free versions, it's totally upon us. I'm saying this because I would like to share this post for all my "calorie - conscious" friends too.

 INGREDIENTS : 

  Onion  – 1
  Butter  – 1/4 Cup
  Flour  – 1/3 Cup
  Whole Milk - 4 Cups
  Half and Half – 2 Cups
  Broccoli Florets – 6 Cups
  Nutmeg  – 1 Pinch
  Cheese  – 2 Cups (white cheddar)
  Salt     – A pinch
  Black Pepper – 2 tsp
  Chicken Broth – 1 Cup

METHOD:    

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the onions and cook them for few minutes. Then add broccoli fry a bit and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour and let it coat well and fry until the raw smell goes off. Pour milk and combine well and add half and half. Add the onions. Season with nutmeg.  

Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the Broccoli is cooked let it cool down a bit (If you like challenges go for it when it is still hot ☺) and using a food processor blend everything together to a smooth or coarse soup.

Bring back to the stove and let it heat up, adjust the consistency with the chicken stock and check for the seasonings. Add the cheese and let it melt down completely. Serve hot in a bread bowl or soup bowl and sprinkle extra cheese on top.

 Notes: For a lower calorie version, substitute butter with EVVO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), reduced fat milk and low or partly skimmed cheese. You could also skip half and half. I used white cheddar to keep the color but you can use yellow cheddar, monterey jack or even the four cheese blend. The original recipe called for 3 cups cheese but I used 1 1/2 Cups instead.