Mexican Stir-fry Rice

Its always fun to cook for kids, they seem to relish their food if it is of their taste and the smile that comes along with it is .. priceless!! All kids love diff colours in their food, My daughter is almost 2 years now and yet understands her taste completely.She lovessssss Rice in any form. SO wen i saw Trupti;s event which she is hosting this month, which is cooking for Kids and that too mainly using Rice i was sure to participate. Cooking for Kids event is a master mind of Sharmi of Neivedyam
SO here i made Mexican stir-fry rice using read kidney beans along with some veggies.

I love this recipe for the fact that it is quick to make, is enjoyed by all, healthy, and colourful too :)

1cup uncooked rice 1 cup white onions, sliced 2 crushed garlic cloves pinch of turmeric pwd 1 sliced green pepper 1 tomato, chopped 1 cup mixed boiled vegetables 1/4th cup boiled Red kidney beans Drop of Tabasco Oil Salt

Wash and soak rice for about an hour or more. Boil the rice and set aside.Heat oil in a pan and add Onion slices, saute till golden brown, add garlic and turmeric pwd, saute for a few more minutes. Set this mix aside and in the same pan saute the green pepper. for a min. Add the remaining mix vegetables, beans and the onion mix. Saute everything well enough until veggies are tender. Add salt and a drop of Tabasco. Add Ur boiled rice and mix well. Serve hot with curry or curd!! :)

Lasagna

The Daring Bakers!! TADAAAAAAAAAAAAA With a new majestic look! called The Daring Kitchen, I must say the whole team has done a wonderful job and is taken blogging as well as non blogging members to a whole new platform. Its just so wonderful to be a part of The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks, Oh yes Ivonne and Lisa have launched The Daring Cooks for passionate cooks :) So gather your cooking gear and get set for one astounding ride which will give daredevil challenges month after month :)
Now lets get to this months Daring Bakers Challenge.
Lasagna
The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagna of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.
The challenge is to Make your own spinach lasagna by rolling it with hand or using your machine.Then make your bechamel sauce and ragu sauce which is a meat sauce. Or make a sweet lasagna. Well i very predictably choose not to make the sweet one :) Yea being a cheese freak i had not much choice left.
Lately Ive been reading a bit about Italian food and happen to read this about Lasagna The etymology of the word lasagna is amusing. It starts with the Greek lasanon which means 'chamber pot'! The Romans borrow it as lasanum to humorously refer to a 'cooking pot'. Later, the Italian word lasagna (plural of lasagna) came to refer to a dish cooked in such a pot - flat sheets of pasta layered with minced meat and tomatoes topped with grated cheese. Soon, the word lasagna was applied to the pasta itself. Its always good to learn stuff about what your eat, little facts make it more fun to cook and eat as well. I Have made lasagna lots of times but never happened to make the pasta sheets at home. Well i feel its totally worth the effort because i could make out the difference in softness. The shelf pasta has a lil rubber like texture which i don't enjoy at times, Fresh pasta had this amazing soft and creamy taste. (The effort one puts in to hand roll these make the result much more sweeter than it is :) lol)
MY husband lovedddddddd it!! and that's what gave me my verdict to this months challenge!!AWESOME!
So here's the recipe,
Egg less Spinach Lasagna

1.5 cup semolina flour 1.5 cup plain flour
1.5 cup blanched chopped spinach Water as required Olive oil Salt
Mix the semolina, flour, spinach and salt and gradually add water and oil as required to make a nice pliable dough. Leave the dough for about half hour to rest, covered with a cloth in a warm place. Half hour should be the at least time i feel , more the better as it gets stiff enough to let it roll easily. I left it for 3 hours before rolling.
If you are making the pasta by hand, roll the dough out as thinly as possible. It sure takes a lot of effort but trust me u wont regret. Keep dusting some flour while u roll on both the sides so that the dough does not stick. Once done cut them into rectangular sheets. Here is also a detailed version on how to hand roll your pasta . Stretching and Thinning:If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.
Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagna, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagna pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

( I know you have to let the sheets rest after rolling but i could not wait and so added them straight to the boil.)
Meanwhile Keep a wide pan filled with water to boil, add a teaspoon of oil as well as salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water, Fresh pasta does not take too long to cook, so its just a matter of minutes that your sheets will start floating up and that's how u know that your pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta and place into cold water to stop the cooking process. Spread them on paper towels to dry.

Bechamel
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, 2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
The challenge asked us to use Ragu which is a meat sauce, so i just made my simple
Herbed Tomato sauce.
1/2 chopped onion
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
pinch salt
Saute onion in oil over medium low heat until tender. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 1 cup of tomato sauce. I layered the lasagna with Grilled eggplant and cheese slices.

Cucumber curry

CUCUMBERS!! This is one Fruit that we have in abundance in japan. Enjoy eating it with dips, salads, and mainly love it eating it my way! I love it as a spicy curried veggie. I keep altering my recipe according to my moods. So will share with u the basic most recipe which is a extream combination of Cool cucumber with Red hot chilies. . Try and make it just at the time u want to eat, it tastes much better.

Also i m sending this recipe to AFAM ,A Fruit A Month, started by Maheshwari of Beyond the usual, and Neha of easyandtastyrecipes who's hosting this event for the month. This event ends on 2nd April so u will surely get a amazing roundup of this cool fruit with loads of options.

CUCUMBER CURRY

3-4 cucumbers cut in your desired shape
1tsp Mustard seeds
3-4 Whole dry red chillies
1/2 tsp asofedita
1/2 tsp Turmeric pwd
1tsp Sambhar masala
Few curry leaves
Salt
Oil
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, as they crackle add hing and curry leaves. As the aroma spreads, add the chopped cucumbers sand saute well. Add salt and turmeric pwd to it. Cover and cook for about 5 min. Add the sambhar masala and stir until masala coats evenly. Cook covered until the cucumbers are tender and aroma of sambhar masala spreads. (if the veggie starts sticking to the pan add little water to it.)

Serve hot with chapatis.:)

Crream of Mushroom Soup

Creamy, smooth, heavenly.... I simply adore the flavour of mushroom soup. During winters Soups are just so blissful. Loved the aroma spreading around of the house of butter sauteed mushrooms :) hmmm i know it sounds tempting. Well it sure is creamy but not fatty. I just did not have the heart to binge into cream, butter, cheese ...so made a nice low calorie soup.

It had a delicate flavour with a dash of spice of black pepper.

Lets get to the recipe:

One cup chopped button mushrooms

Half cup chopped white onion

1/4 cup chopped unpeeled potato

3-4 pods of crushed garlic

Dash of black pepper

Salt to taste

One cup low fat milk.

Water

One tsp butter

In a pressure cooker add mushrooms (leaving a few aside for garnishing), onions, potato, garlic and salt. Add enough water to cook the ingredients. Once cooked cool and blend them to a smooth paste.

In another pan heat some butter and saute the chopped mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Then add the blended veggies to it, Add milk and water. (Adjust your consistency) and let it boil for at least 15 min. Garnish with black pepper, parsley and a small glob of butter :)

Tuiles

The new year is here, wish u all a very Happy New Year. Cant believe that the year has passed, so much of hustle bustle this year. oh!! i mean last year. Well now i m in my country visiting family for 2 months and its all the more hectic with my little one. I thought that i would not participate for this month's as well as the Feb challenge but, somehow could not resist. Also i know i cannot participate in the Feb challenge and so dint want to skip Jan.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf.They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

The name 'tuile' is a french word meaning 'tile,' and when presented in rows are supposed to resemble the curved tiles on the tops of buildings. In their traditional form, a tuile is a flat cookie which has been set over a curved surface while freshly baked and allowed to cool, giving its characteristic curved-tile shape.

And a Nougat is actually a darker candy, made of caramel syrup and nuts. This is rolled into thin sheets and formed into cups or bowls to serve as a vessel for other candy or fruit.

Well this was another experience , not so difficult and time consuming like the last one. It was fun, I wanted to try the nut version as well as the Savoury ones, so i decided to use the Chocolate nut recipe for the sweet one and for the savoury ones, i altered Vegan yum yum's recipe a bit. I simply love her blog, her presentations are simply amazing.

My mom is a amazing cook so i got a lot of help from her to finish my challenge. My sister, cousin , brother.. love eating so i did have some handy Ginnie pigs to test my cooking skills on. :) Trust me they were glad to do it. But it was a lil disastrous and panachey for me, cuz firstly i was not in my cooking space and had to ask mom for each and everything as to where it was kept, then kids running around, etc etc in that havoc i forgot to measure my butter, while i just chopped it and kept aside to get it to room temp and in a rush mixed my flour to it, so basically it was all by eyeball after that. Once i put the tuiles in the oven the lights went off .. yes!! that too for 4 hours! so i was holding my head with terrible panic attack, and could do nothing by wait. Finally the lights came and i popped a batch of savoury tuiles. I decided to serve them with a dollop of cucumber curd dip topped with a olive, and some salad on the side. The sweet ones dint need much as i love the mingle of almond with chocolate. Its just the best combination ever according to me. My little hearts were topped with a dollop of whipped cream, a slice of fresh strawberry and a drop of apple jam! Trust me the combination tasted heavenly.

I tried capturing a few expressions of my family:)

Lets get to the recipe:

CHOCOLATE TUILES

Michel Roux’s Finest Desserts.

Makes 30 Preparation time: 15 minutes!

9 oz/250 grams dark or white couverture or best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup/75 gr slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

Temper the couverture, and stir in the toasted almonds. Place the template on a sheet of rodoïde (or use a clean sheet of sturdy plastic such as a folder) and fill with about 1 tbs of the mixture. Repeat the process a little distance away from the first one. As soon as you have 5 tuiles fit, slide them onto a mold or rolling pin (side of a glass) to curve. Let cool completely, lift tuiles off the plastic only after the chocolate has set and just before serving, so that they keep their shine.This has a nice crunch of toasted almonds to it. And a beautiful feel of creamy chocolate.

Here's the recipe for SAVOURY TUILES:

Source-Veganyumyum

1/2 Cup Butter/margarine, softened

2 Tbs Flax Egg*

1/4 tsp Salt

3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp mixed herbs

1/2 tsp chili flakes

*Flax Egg 1 Tbs Flax Seed +1/4 Cup Water

Grind the flax seed to a powder in a spice grinder. Whisk with water and set aside. Use 2 Tbs of this mixture for the tuile cookies. Preheat oven to 375°F. Whip the butter till soft.Mix the herbs, flakes and salt with the butter and whisk them well. Add the flax eggs and Butter. Add the flour to this mix and knead it till soft, add little milk to this mix to make a paste like texture.

U can buy tuile moulds and templates or else just use a cardboard to cut ur own template.Put your template on a parchment paper and put a spoonful of your batter on it. spread it evenly using a spatula, remove the excess. Remove the template and put them for baking until golden brown.As soon as you remove them from the oven, shape them on a greased rolling pin. ( i wanted them to be flat so i did not put them on the rolling pin.)You can then serve them with desired dips, salads. I used cucumber dip and salad on the side.

It was a great challenge, i honestly enjoyed making these and will try diff variations soon.:)

A French Yule Log.

Phew!!!!!! At last i did it :) Never heard before or say Never thought would make something of this sought ever!!
Yes THE DARING BAKERS "actually" "literally" means u need to DARE to do stuff!

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand

When i first saw the recipe that long i knew so that i will have to skip this month;s challenge, though i just dint want to quit. So on a one fine noon i put my daughter to a nap and started with the first thing the Dacquoise Biscuit, then determined that i would go alongside the Oder of the recipe given and try to finish all the elements in that day and yes i did it :) i completed all my elements by evening and started to assemble by night. I let the buche freeze and then the next day noon iced it :) I felt a sense of achievement, trust me.

ŏn'trə-mā', -mĕ' (entremets ) is a french word which means dishes served in addition to the main course of a meal ; especially desserts. Or it could also mean a specific dessert in this case.

The best part about this recipe is the medley of Smooth creamy mousse along with the praline crisps, the creaminess of brule, all of them combined to a perfect Bite.

I decided on a all chocolate Log except for the Brule , well i know its sinful but someone has rightly said "I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter. " and i firmly believe in this quote.

So lets start with the recipe: (i have had to change a few things because of me being vegetarian)

The six elements needed to make this log are :
1) Dacquoise Biscuit
2) Mousse
3) Ganache Insert
4) Praline (Crisp) Insert
5) Creme Brule Insert
6) Icing

Element #1 Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)

Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible. Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups white self-raising flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 tbsp fat-free yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond essence

1/4 cup almond meal

Preheat the oven to 170C, Line your baking dish with a parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, Sift the flour and baking powder into another bowl. Mix the yogurt and the milk together. Add 1/3 of the flour mix to the creamed butter and beat in thoroughly. Then pour a third of the milk mixture and beat it in. Finish up the remaining flour and milk mix the same way till you get a fairly thick batter. Make sure you beat well after each addition now stir in the almond essence and almond meal .Pour this batter into piping bag and pipe an even layer on your baking dish. Bake until golden brown.

Variations on the Almond Dacquoise listed above:
Hazelnut Dacquoise :Substitute the same amount of hazelnut meal for the almond meal.
Chocolate Dacquoise :Add 3 tablespoons of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder into the almond meal/caster sugar mix in Step #1 of the Almond Dacquoise.
Lemon Dacquoise: Add the zest of 1 Lemon after the flour in Step #2 of the Almond Dacquoise.
Coconut Dacquoise: Substitute ¼ cup of almond meal and add 2/3 cup shredded coconut in Step #1 of the Almond Dacquoise

Element #2 Dark Chocolate Mousse

Preparation time: 20mn

Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula

Ingredients:

1 + 1/4 tsp powdered agar-agar

1.5 oz (3 Tbsp / 40g) granulated sugar

0.5 oz (15g) water

6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1.5 cups (350g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

Soak the agar agar in water for about 1 hour and then dissolve it in about 3/4th cup of boiling water.). In a double boiler or equivalent, heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.Whip the remainder of the cream until stiff.Pour the melted chocolate over the agar agar mixing it well . Let the mix cool slightly and then stir in the whipped cream.

Variations on the Dark Chocolate Mousse

White Chocolate Mousse :Substitute the same quantity of white chocolate for the dark chocolate in the mousse recipe listed above.

Milk Chocolate Whipped Cream (Chantilly):(Can be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight) 2/3 cup (160g) heavy cream 35% fat7.8 oz (220g) milk chocolate 2 1/3 tsp (15g) glucose or thick corn syrup1 1/3 cup (320g) heavy cream 35% fat .

Vanilla Mousse

Mango Mousse

Element #3 Dark Chocolate Ganache

Preparation time: 10mn

Equipment: pan, whisk. If you have plunging mixer (a vertical hand mixer used to make soups and other liquids), it comes in handy.

Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.

Ingredients:

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped

3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge). While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Variations on the Dark Chocolate Ganache :

White Chocolate Ganache Insert

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

5 oz (135g) white chocolate, finely chopped

4.5 oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small sauce pan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge). While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.

Dark-Milk Ganache Insert

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

2.7 oz (75g) milk chocolate

3.2 oz (90g) dark chocolate

3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Cinnamon-Milk Ganache Insert

4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream

A pinch of cinnamon

2.7 oz (75g) milk chocolate, finely chopped

3.2 oz (90g) dark chocolate, finely chopped

3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).Heat the cream with the cinnamon (use the quantity of cinnamon you want to infuse the cream, a pinch is the smallest amount suggested) until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the milk and dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Element #4 Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes)

Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes).Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or I use an empty bottle of olive oil).

Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them. Special note: If you use one of the substitutes for the gavottes, you should halve the quantity stated, as in use 1oz of any of these cereals instead of 2.1oz.

Ingredients for the Praline Feuillete:

3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter

2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline

2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Variations on the Praline Feuillete (Crisp) :

Chocolate Crisp Insert

3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter

2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline

1 oz. (25g) lace crepes or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Coconut Crisp Insert

3.5 oz (100g) white chocolate

1 oz (1/3 cup/25g) shredded coconut

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter

2.1 oz (60g) lace crepes or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Spread the coconut on a baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes at 375°F (190°C) to toast (a different temperature might work better for you with your own oven). 2. Melt the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir until smooth and add the toasted coconut. 3. Add the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking

Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...

Ingredients:

lb. silken tofu

4 tablespoon milk

3/4 cup sugar plus 2tablespoon sugar (reserved)

2 tablespoon cornstarch

dash Kosher salt or sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 375. Press tofu until a little water leaches out Put tofu and all other ingredients (except reserved sugar) into a blender and blend until a smooth, creamy texture has been created. Pour into custard cups or a pie tin and bake in a water bath until the tofu mixture browns a little and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove mixture from water bath spread sugar on top and place under a hot broiler until the sugar melts and browns and begins to harden.

Element #6 Dark Chocolate Icing

Preparation time: 25

Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan

Note: Because the icing gelifies quickly, you should make it at the last minute.For other gelatin equivalencies or gelatin to agar-agar equivalencies, look at the notes for the mousse component

Ingredients:

4g / ½ Tbsp powdered agar agar

¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)

2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (50g) water

1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Soften agar agar by soaking and boiling it in water, once dissolved ,Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling. Add agar agar to the chocolate mixture. Mix well. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

Variations on the Dark Chocolate :

Milk Chocolate Icing

3g / 1/2Tbsp powdered agar agar

4.2 oz (120g) milk chocolate

2 Tbsp (30g) butter

¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)

1 2/3 Tbsp (30g) glucose or thick corn syrup

Soften the agar agar . Coarsely chop the chocolate and butter together. Bring the cream and glucose syrup to a boil. Add agar agar . Pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

White Chocolate Icing

.3g / 1/2Tbsp powdered agar agar
4.2 oz (120g) white chocolate
2 Tbsp (30g) butter
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)
1 2/3 Tbsp (30g) glucose or thick corn syrup
Soften the agar agar . Coarsely chop the chocolate and butter together. Bring the cream and glucose syrup to a boil. Add agar agar . Pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

How To Assemble your French Yule Log

Depending on whether your mold is going to hold the assembly upside down until you unmold it or right side up, this order will be different. THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP. You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop after each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.

1) Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR plastic film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.

You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:

2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold.

3A) Pipe one third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise.

4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.

5A) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.

6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.

7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.

8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.

9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight eidge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.

10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise.

Freeze until the next day.

OR

2B)Pipe one third of the Mousse component into the mold.

3B) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.

4B) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.

5B) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.

6B) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.

7B) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.

8B) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.

9B) Close with the Dacquoise.

Freeze until the next day.

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with TWO pieces of Dacquoise the order is:

1) Dacquoise

2) Mousse

3) Creme Brulee Insert

4) Mousse

5) Praline/Crisp Insert

6)Mousse

7) Ganache Insert

8) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is
1) Mousse

2) Creme Brulee Insert

3) Mousse

4) Praline/Crisp Insert

5) Mousse

6) Ganache Insert

7) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly RIGHT SIDE UP in a springform pan the order is:

1) Dacquoise

2) Ganache Insert

3) Mousse

4) Praline/Crisp Insert

5) Mousse

6) Creme Brulee Insert

7) Mousse

8) OPTIONAL Dacquoise

THE NEXT DAY..

Unmold the cake/log/whatever and set on a wire rack over a shallow pan.Cover the cake with the icing.Let set. Return to the freezer. You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc...Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you chose.

I chose to decorate it with Dessert Cherries which my friend gifted me. The sides were sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles and to add a little glitter as it is festive season i sprinkled some silver sprinklers, i absolutely love the combination of brown, red and silver :)

I am absolutely sure to make this again with new variations next time.

Tandoori Pizza!

My hubby loves a lot of colour in his food. And his favourite food is PIZZA :) so yes, i Indianized my pizza!! Mixed in a whole bunch of colourful veggies and Indian spices to make this Tandoori Pizza.

Its healthy and spicy kinds. The mix of spices adds to the flavours of cheese.You could choose to bake your own bread for the base or use the ready ones.

1 Onion diced

A can of mushrooms(or fresh) diced

A small head of broccoli

Garlic - 6-8 cloves

Olive oil - 2 tbs

2-3 Green Pepper diced

2-3 Green olives sliced

Handful of basil leaves

7-8 Baby tomatoes halved

2 Tbs Tomato paste

1/2cup Cottage cheese

1/2 cup Mixed shredded cheese

2Tbs Tandoori masala

Salt

Red pepper powder

Dash of lemon juice.

In a pan add some olive oil and garlic, let the flavour of garlic infuse in the oil and add all the veggies, coat well in olive oil and then add salt + tandoori masala. Let the veggies cook till almost done, and add the basil leaves, tomato paste along with red pepper pwd. Cook on high flame till u get a aroma and add lemon juice.

Top this Mix on your pizza base and sprinkle the mix if cheese & cottage cheese generously, Top with olives and grill for about 10 min or until cheese melts.

Serve hot!!