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It's still under process....keep yourself updated...

French Vanilla Ice-cream Sundae

Here is the next one which I prepared with the homemade French vanilla ice-cream.....Well there is no fixed name of this recipe, you can call it Malini's special ice-cream sundae.....or you can even transform this into your own special dish as per your choice of toppings...........

Ingredients:

• 4 chocolate bars / chocolate coated ice-cream wafers
• 2-4 scoops French vanilla ice-cream
• chocolate chip and cashew cookies
• chocolate syrup

Procedure:

1. Just place 2-4 scoops of ice-cream in a serving plate. Place the chocolate bars / wafers.
2. Add chocolate syrup. Crumble cookies over the ice-cream and serve immediately.

This is going to the following events:

My Favourite Things - Frozen Desserts guest hosted by Aqua of Served With Love, event by Bindiya....

RCI - Pondicherry event, hosted by Lavi of Home Cook's Recipes, event started by Lakshmi

Ice-cream sandwich

It feels good to be appreciated for your work (read my technical assignments) and moreover its great to be pampered once in a while with a surprise treat.......Sometimes back I had this delicious ice-cream sandwich and since then I wanted to try it out. I made a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream but wanted to serve it in a different way.

My hubby bought some cream filled chocolate bars from his last trip to Austria so I used the chocolate bars...... Instead of just serving it plain, I prepared 2 dishes, one being this yummy ice-cream sandwich.....A great way to surprise your friends and guests too...

The simplest ice cream sandwich is to place 1 or 2 scoops of your choicest ice cream in between chocolate bars / ice cream wafers.

Ice Cream Base - Custard Base / Cream Base: The ice cream base is the essential part of what makes ice cream really creamy and delicious. The basic principle for making an ice cream base is to combine cream and milk, egg yolks and sugar.

• Some people create a mix from these ingredients without heating, which is generally referred to as a cream base.
• Others, prefer to use heat in the process, which is known as a custard base.

Stated below is an authentic French vanilla cream recipe (typical custard base method which involves heating).

There are several variations on the standard vanilla flavor, including a particularly rich and creamy variety called French vanilla. Traditional vanilla flavor is derived from the seeds of a vanilla bean pod / a synthetic chemical equivalent called vanillin. French vanilla is more of an egg custard before freezing and contains egg yolks for a richer consistency.

To prepare � ltr French vanilla ice cream, all you need......

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 300 ml full milk
• 300 ml double cream
• 2 vanilla bean pods
• 100 gms powdered sugar
• 4 chocolate bars / chocolate coated ice-cream wafers

Procedure:

1. Place a damp towel on kitchen table / work surface and place a bowl on top. Add sugar and the egg yolks, whisk together until well combined and thick. Keep aside.
2. Prepare the custard base by heating milk. Place a saucepan on medium heat, add milk, bring just under boiling point (do not overheat).
3. When the milk has heated up, pour it gradually into the bowl containing combined sugar-egg yolks mixture and whisk / stir continuously.
4. Transfer the whole mixture back to the pan. Place pan on medium heat and stir continuously for 3-5 mins and allow to thicken (do not bring to the boil or it may curdle).
5. When you have reached the desired consistency, pour into a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
6. To combine vanilla and cream, place vanilla pods on a chopping board and slice lengthways. Split the pod open. Scrape the pulp out on the knife and put in the bowl of cream. Pour the cream and vanilla into the bowl containing, egg-milk custard. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
7. To prepare the ice-cream, pour the mix into ice-cream maker, close and switch the machine. Churn for 15-20 mins. Strain through a fine sieve; transfer the churned mixture to a plastic container; cover and refrigerate to set.
8. To make the ice-cream sandwich, place a chocolate bar / wafer in a serving plate, put a scoop of ice-cream carefully on the top and place another chocolate bar / wafer to make a sandwich. Serve immediately�

Tips: For varieties, use chocolate chip cookies instead of wafers and just sandwich a dollop (single scoop) of ice cream between them. Serve immediarely or you can also refrigerate to serve later...

You can also add various ice-cream toppings, coming up in my next recipe�

This is going to My Favourite Things - Frozen Desserts guest hosted by Aqua of Served With Love, event by Bindiya....

Also going to RCI - Pondicherry event, hosted by Lavi of Home Cook's Recipes, event started by Lakshmi

Stuffed Tomatoes

Tomatoes are used extensively in Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Consumption of tomato is believed to benefit the heart among other things.

Another recipe from my microwave cookbook with a little alteration (recipe stated usage of turmeric and chat masala, both of which I omitted).

This year there were plenty of red & juicy tomatoes in the markets. I couldn't resist but try this recipe out for the first time.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 large red tomatoes (hard & firm)

Filling:

• 1 cup paneer, mashed
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 capsicum, finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Procedure:

1. Wash the tomatoes, cut a circular portion at the top and scoop out the seeds. (Keep upside down so that all the juices are removed).
2. Take a microwave safe dish, mix chopped garlic, mashed paneer, chopped onion, green chillies, salt, pepper and butter for the filling. Microwave at 100% power for 2-3 mins.
3. Stuff the tomatoes with the filling and keep in a microwave safe flat dish.
4. Brush with oil and cover with cling foil. Microwave at 100% power for 2 mins. Allow to stand for 5 mins. Serve hot.

Another entry for FIC - Red & Green event hosted by Neha

This is also going to 15 mins cooking event by Mahimaa...

Chocolate Chips and Cashew Cookies

Cookies are the latest addition in my son's menu, specially the choco-chips chocolate cookies. While going through my microwave cookbook, I found a recipe for chocochip cookies. I altered the recipe a little and added some cashew nuts to prepare these mouth watering Cashew and Choco Chips Cookies....

Easy to prepare; takes about 30 mins and yields about 2 dozen cookies..

Ingredients :

• 1-� cups maida
• � cup unsalted butter
• � cup powdered sugar
• � tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• � tsp salt
• 2/3 cup cashew nuts, chopped
• 2/3 cups chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat the microwave oven at 180�C at convection mode.
2. Sieve flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Keep aside.
3. Beat the egg with vanilla extract. Keep aside.
4. Take a bowl and beat butter and sugar till light and creamy. Mix in the beaten egg mixture till fluffy.
5. Gradually mix in the flour mixture. Add milk, chocolate chips and chopped almonds. Mix well.
6. Put a spoonful of the mixtute on the greased non-stick tawa a little apart (to give place for expansion).
7. Flatten slightly using a wooden spatula (you can add some more choco chips & chopped almonds on the top).
8. Bake at 180�C for 20-25 mins on lower rack till golden brown. Cool completely and serve with hot tea / coffee.

The cookies are going to both the events hosted by Poornima of TASTY TREATS: For the Love of Chocolate and Lets go Nuts - Cashew Nuts.

Boloker Torkari

Sunday breakfast prior to my marriage meant luchi (puris) and bolker torkari (white side dish preparation of potatoes sometimes with the addition of parwal (pointed gourd or potol to Bengalis).....My mother used to call it boloker torkari / sada (white) torkari........

A simple preparation with little oil and just one or two ingredients, with kalo jire (kalonji) / panchphoron being the main spice.......

Here is the recipe as learnt from my mother.......

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, peeled & diced
• 6 pointed gourd (potol), peeled (alternatively with strips) & chopped
• 1 tsp kalo jire (kalonji)
• salt (to taste)
• 2-3 green chiilies
• 2-3 tbsp mustard oil
• water (as required)

Procedure:

1. Heat half the oil in a kadhai. Add kalo jire and green chillies and let them splutter.
2. Add the chopped pointed gourd slices, saute for 3-4 mins and then add the diced potatoes and stir fry for 2-3 mins.
3. Add salt, mix well and add water (as per gravy).
4. Bring to a boil, simmer and pour rest of the mustard oil on top of the water (Ensure not to stir the oil).
5. Cover and cook for 5-6 mins till the vegetables are tender. Remove from fire, transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot with luchi / parantha / puris.

Sending this to the 15 minutes Cooking event by Mahimaa....

This recipe is also going to WYF -Side dishes by EC of Simple Indian Food

and Think Spice- Think Kalonji guest hosted by Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen, event started by Sunitha..

Yakisoba Noodles

While doing some more net surfing on Japanese Cuisines for AWED-Japanese event guest hosted by Lavi of Home Cook's Recipes, event started by DK, I came across very interesting sites (courtesy google site search on Japanese Cuisines) with lots of information on the ways & tips of Japanese cooking, the main ingredients used and a whole range of new recipes.

These are some of the points I came across....

Rice is of course the staple food of Japan, but the second most popular food is menrui (noodles).

Japanese cuisine is incomplete without the mouth-watering noodles. Noodles are prepared & served in many different ways, fried, hot and even cold with tasty dipping sauce and condiments
Basically there are three types of Japanese noodles: soba (buckwheat & wheat), udon (white flour) and ramen.

• Soba noodles are thin, flavorful, and generally light brown in color. They come in various sizes and colors, there's even a type made with powdered green tea called cha-soba. During the summer months soba is served cold in shallow bamboo baskets, and the noodles are dipped into a cold dipping sauce. In winter the noodles make their appearance in hot dashi, and are accompanied by ingredients like fried tofu, vegetables and meats.

• Udon noodles is a very thick and pasty wheat noodle that is served in hot dashi and topped with the same condiments as the soba noodles. Udon noodle dishes are also prepared according to summer and winter months.

• Ramen noodle is also made up of wheat, but it may be thin, thick or ribbon-like. It is believed that soba and udon are traditional Japanese noodles and ramen is based on Chinese noodles.

Here is the recipe to prepare Yakisoba Noodles...

Ingredients:

• 500 gms yakisoba noodles
• a bunch spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 onion, sliced
• 2 capsicum, sliced
• 2 tbsp ginger, chopped
• � cup soya sauce
• � cup rice wine
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4-5 tbsp white oil

Procedure

1. Take a small bowl, put soya sauce, rice wine and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Keep aside.
2. Boil enough water in a pan. Put the noodles in the boiling water and cook for about 5-6 mins, until they are tender (but not too mushy).
3. Put the noodles under cold tap water and then put the noodles in a strainer / colander and drain excess water.
4. Heat a non-stick kadhai, heat white oil. Add onion slices, saute a little and then add the capsicum slices and chopped ginger and stir fry till the vegetables are tender.
5. Add the noodles, mix well with the vegetables and pour the prepared sauce over the noodles.
6. Toss the noodles, simmer and cook the noodles for 3-4 mins. Transfer the noodles to a serving dish. Serve hot with a spicy tofu dish.

Tips: You can add other vegetables like cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers also.....

This is my second entry to the AWED-Japanese event.....