Butterscotch & Chocolate Brownie Bites

13th October, 2012 is going to lock down some bitter sweet memories for a bunch of us in New Jersey. At Rutherford, NJ there's a house that's been home to almost all of my friends on the east coast at some point or the other. A bachelor pad + frat home, one that has always welcomed then girlfriends, now wives of the once-upon-a-time bachelors. A duplex with a huge hall and a carpet that's had much of the wine n biryani from any party!

Ever hospitable hosts (RN & SMK) have made that a second home to all of us. This month, we bid the house farewell and tonight we plan to party... one last time at that venue.

Anyway, just like bitter-sweet memories, I have a batch of semi-smoked, semi-sweet butterscotch-chocolate brownies that I plan to take with me. Recipe follows...

Bowl 1

3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tbsp Salt
1 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup cocoa powder

Bowl 2
1 stick Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup choco chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

2 Eggs.
1 tbs Vanilla Essence

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Grease mini muffin pans or any cake pan of your choice and set aside
• Microwave the ingredients in bowl 2 for 30-60 secs on high, stopping inbetween to give it a quick stir. Once melted, allow it to cool and then add the 2 eggs and vanilla essence. Fold in ingredients of Bowl 1 until just combined.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin trays to fill halfway. I also added some chopped walnuts on top of the batter once in the muffin tray. Bake for 10-15 mins or until cake tester inserted into the center comes clean.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Best when served with chilled icecream or hot choc!
PS: I had a fire-alarm tragedy that led to a slightly burnt brownie, but it still tastes yum!

Beetroot Soup

Having made soups for a while, I noticed how some vegetables always fight the rest and take over the flavor n color of the resulting bowl. From pictures in my previous posts you'd have seen carrot and zucchini soup look almost the same. That got quite boring, honestly.

Being a vegetarian, I pride myself in making a colorful meal. Color is almost synonymous with deliciousness (in my mind atleast!). So I set out to make this brilliant purplish-deep-maroon-beetroot soup.

While making it, I couldn't help but think how AWESOME a saree in Beetroot color with a white n gold zari would look. Pair it with some awesome Kemp Temple Jewelry and you have a stunning outfit! I dressed my soup in all the colors I'd love to see in a saree :)
Now, off to the recipe....

Ingredients

2-3 medium sized beetroots roughly chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tomatoes, boiled and skin peeled
2 garlic pods (toasted)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh ground pepped + chilli powder + turmeric
Fresh cilantro to top
Yogurt (2 tbsp)
1/2 potato peeled, boiled n cubed (optional)

Add oil to a skillet and saute the onions, garlic n beetroots until well cooked. Add in the tomatoes and salt + spice mix, then simmer with a closed lid. After 2-3 mins when the tomatoes are cooked, turn the stove off n allow to cool. Puree the mix into a thick paste. Transfer back to a non stick heavy bottomed vessel and allow to boil along with 2 cups of stock and then turn the stove off.
Transfer to a soup bowl, top with fresh boiled potatoes, cilantro and a drizzle of yogurt. Serve with garlic bread / crackers or bread.

Hope you like it!

Spicy Zucchini Soup

This happens to be Soup week, atleast in my home. My friend's blog Cinnamons & Clove, I am beginning to experiment with vegetables in the kitchen. However, I still hunt for recipes online that I modify and spice up the way I like.

I chanced upon this recipe on NY Times and modified it to suit the Indian tongue. It tasted like Maggi Masala noodles, and we loved it!

2 Zucchinis (1 Green, 1 Yellow) - diced
1 Medium Onion chopped
Green Chillies - 2, slit lengthwise
Garlic Pods - 2-3, finely chopped
Veg. stock and water - adjust as required to make the soup thick or thin
Fresh Cilantro - roughly chopped
Paprika Powder - 1 tbsp
Fresh Cumin n Pepper ground - 1-2 tbsp
Fennel - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
MDH Kitchen King Powder - 1 tbsp (Any curry powder should work too)
Salt - 1-2 tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp

Heat the oil in a pan, add fennel, green chillies and garlic and let it roast. Toss in the onions and sweat it for a few mins by closing the lid. Add in the Zucchinis, salt and all the spices and cook thoroughly. Now add in the stock and bring to boil. Transfer the contents to a food processor and puree it to make a fine paste. Transfer back to a bowl and add water as much as you need to make the soup thick or thin. Taste and adjust salt. Top with cilantro and serve with some crostinis or toasted bread!

Carrot, Ginger & Cilantro Soup

I dream about food. A lot! On some days - the only thing that helps me get through the day is browsing and slow cooking recipes while deciding what to make for dinner. It's funny how therapeutic cooking is for me. :)

Yesterday, I saw on FB that a friend had posted that they had Corn on the Cob and Carrot Soup for dinner. I read that very briefly while switching subway lines, but swear I couldn't stop thinking about it since. Thanks to a Saturday well spent (at the local Farmers market and Wegmans) - the fridge was well stocked and I had all the ingredients I thought I needed to make that much wanted Soup!

1 Medium Sized Onion finely chopped
5 Medium Carrots, peeled and grated
Vegetable Stock & Water (Adjust as needed)
1-2 tbsp Ginger

Freshly Ground Pepper
Fresh Cilantro
1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Fennel
1 tbsp Cumin
1-2 tbsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tbsp Garam Masala

Saute all the spices and veggies in oil in a heavy bottomed pan (with lid) until its cooked well. Add salt midway and vegetable stock/broth and water towards the end and bring to boil. Toss everything in a food processor and puree it. Top with fresh cilantro and spring onions, sprinkle some pepper and lemon juice and serve with bread/corn on the side for a healthy dinner!

Note: Adjust the veg. stock and water proportion to create a soup as thick or thin as you like.

Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffin

Last night S & I went out to Palmer Square at Princeton and were amazed at how lively and beautiful the whole place was. Victorian buildings, tiny little coffee shops and home made ice-cream. Not just that, there was music and couples old and young, so full of love and cheer dancing like no one's watching.

So anyway, we were walking around there a lot just admiring everything and wondering why it took us over a year to find this place that was a stone's throw away. We made mental note of the places we wanted to take our parents to, when they visit us here. And I reminded myself that I would one day own a cute lil muffin shop.

But for now, I have some eggs, an oven and 1 sure customer in my very own home. So this Saturday, we made us some Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins ! Pair it with some Ginger Chai and a movie - we have a winner !

Here's how..

2 Eggs Separated
1 and 1/4 All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Lemon Sugar (Sugar + 3/4 of a Lemon's Zest pulsed together). You'll know its done when the aroma kicks in :)
1 tbsp Baking Soda
1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
4 Oz or 1/2 Cup Butter (Unsalted)
1/4 tbsp Salt
2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
Juice from 1/4 Lemon
1 tbsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup Buttermilk

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Beat the butter and lemon sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg yolks one at a time and beat well.
• Add in the Flour, Soda, Baking powder, Poppy Seed and beat well by mixing in the buttermilk as needed
• Finally add the lemon juice and vanilla essence
• Beat the egg whites until fluffy in a separate bowl and fold it into the batter
• Spoon the batter into the muffin trays and sprinkle some sugar on top. 
• Pop the tray into the oven and bake 20-25 mins until fluff and a cake tester pushed into the middle comes out clean.

Cheesy Spinach Dip

Here's one more from the Party Menu - an easy & quick Spinach Dip. I like serving baked appetizers as it's convenient. It's easy to store in the oven until your guests arrive, and the dish will stay warm even when prepared hours in advance. Turn the temperature up for a few minutes before serving, and its as good as it gets!

Warning: This one is for those who indulge and don't count calories
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's

• Olive Oil - 2 teaspoons, plus more for baking dish
• 1 Onion - chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pack Spinach
• 1/2 cup milk
• Reduced-fat bar cream cheese - 5 oz
• Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Chilli Sauce - 3 tbsp
• Mozzarella - 3/4 cup
• Ground Pepper

Here's How:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. In a non-stick pan, heat oil and add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Add spinach in small proportions and ensure they are completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid. This might take time, but is important if you need your dip to be the right consistency.
5. In the same pan, warm milk over high heat and whisk in cream cheese until melted (about 5 minutes) 
6. Add spinach, soy sauce, chilli sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Pour the mix into shallow baking dish; top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
8. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 minutes. 
9. Serve with mini bagel bites or onion/sesame crackers and enjoy!

Paneer Tikka

Did I tell you already that I love to host parties? It gives me such pleasure to be able to plan a party in my head and execute it exactly the way I planned. My closes friends and S (am sure) are convinced that its some form of OCD. They call me Monica, and I actually like that! 

I have to make elaborate plans.
I have to send out atleast a 100 mails in the process of preparation.
I have to be able to make as many things to eat as I possibly can, and in record time.
I have to photograph them before anyone digs into it. And it naturally ends up here and on facebook.

I tried to grill Paneer Tikkas for one such party recently, and here it is:

To make 12 Skewers, with 3-4 Paneers in each.

Marinade: Prep previous night and soak in the refrigerator.

• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp, 1 more for brushing (later)
• Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
• Jeera Powder - 1 tbsp
• Methi, crushed - 1 pinch
• Salt - 2 tbsp

Mix all of the above and pour into a wide bottom vessel.

Veggies

• Cut Paneer into cubes (~45 pieces)
• Chop Onions and Bell Peppers into similar sized pieces. They need to be big enough to thread in the skewers.
• Cherry Tomatoes

Soak the veggies in the marinade overnight. Keep this in the refrigerator.

Threading & Grilling

1. Line the bottom of your oven with an Aluminum Foil or parchment paper. This is done in order to prevent the Oven from steaming/sizzling when the marinade drips from the skewers.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350F. If you like a smoked taste to the Paneer, broil instead.
   
3. You would need a pack of Bamboo skewers. Soak these in water for 10-15 mins, so they don't char instantly upon grilling. 
4. Carefully thread the pre-soaked veggies in the pre-soaked bamboo skewers in order: Onions - Capsicum - Paneer - Tomato, and repeat!
5. Take a cooking brush (a new paint brush washed well) and dip in oil. Brush the veggie threaded in the skewer slightly.
6. Place these in a cookie baking tray and keep them in the oven for 20 mins total, turning the skewers every 5 mins to have all sides evenly grilled.
7. The marinade is lip-smackingly-delish and can be used as a dip!

 Enjoy!