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Mostly Food and Crafts: Friday Food Frenzy

Mostly Food and Crafts: Friday Food Frenzy

Healthy Tuna Sandwich

A great no-cook summer appetizer treat.

When it comes to making a quick and easy lunch, sometimes people opt for the high calorie options such a fast food pizza or fast food hamburgers. But with just a little planning, they can make a healthy meal recipe that are perfect for lunch, picnics  and packs, well  for school or office. Tuna sandwich recipes are a perfect solution if you’re in a hurry and want to eat something filling but good  and healthy.

Eating tuna and other fish can help your brain function better, keep your memory sharp and reduce your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week. Both fresh and canned tuna are convenient ways to get your weekly amounts of this nutrient-rich food. Choosing low-sodium and low-fat seasonings and whole-grain bread is the healthiest way to make a tuna sandwich.

This quick and easy sandwich recipe is an ideal healthy meal idea for those looking to add more protein to their diet. This simple sandwich recipe is healthy, delicious and a great appetizer for a dinner group or even as a quick summertime lunch. Everyone will love this low-fat, low-sodium and high protein healthy  recipe. Try it for your next lunch.

Here’s a quick mid-week recipe that you can whip up in a couple minutes flat. I love this recipe. I added fresh lemon juice for tartness, chopped onions and celery for crunch. Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper, and you’ve got a fresh tuna sandwiches that is packed with flavor. Don’t miss the ketchup!

Here is the Healthy Tuna Sandwich Recipe:

Ingredients: 

Tuna in water                       – 2 cans (6 oz each, I used sandwich flaked Tuna)

Medium stalk celery              – 1

Small onion                          – 1

Lemon juice                         - 1 tsp

Salt                                      - ¼ tsp

Pepper                                 – ¼ tsp

Slices bread                          – 8 ( Used canapé bread)

 Method

• Drain the tuna in a strainer. Chop the celery to measure 1/2 cup. Peel and chop the onion to measure 1/4 cup.

• In a medium bowl, mix the tuna, celery, onion,  lemon juice, salt and pepper. If you want you can add green chilies or any herbs of your choice, its optional.

• Spread tuna mixture on the bread slices.

I like to serve this tuna on an open-faced sandwich on whole grain canapé bread or on toast. Super filling, heart healthy and so yummy! Your body and your taste buds will both say “thank you.”

Enjoy a light, healthy meal with this quick and easy tuna sandwich.

Pav Bhaji...

Today, I’m blogging about Mumbai’s famous street food – Pav Bhaji. A hurried meal for the man in the street.  It is easy to cook and also filling. It is a Maharashtrian fast food dish that originated in Mumbai cuisine. Pav = Soft Bun and Bhaji =  a spicy preparation with a mixture of vegetables, either whole or mashed, a generous dose of fresh tomatoes, and a dollop of butter, consumed with warm bun/bread gently or crispy fried in butter – an all-time, anytime favourite with Indians.

I was craving for Pav Bhaji last weekend……So went to a near by Chat shop, just to eat this chat and unfortunately that day the  Pav buns were out of stock, so came back home disappointed. The next day I got pav buns and yummy homemade pav bhaji is ready in minutes  at home for dinner :) 

Recipe :

Ingredients

Potatoes, boiled and mashed             2 medium

Tomatoes, chopped                            2 medium

Onions, chopped                                 2 medium

Green capsicum, chopped                 1 medium

Cauliflower, grated                              ¼ small

Green peas, shelled                            ¼ cup

Ginger, chopped                                 1 inch piece

Oil                                                        3 tbsp

Green Chillies, chopped                     3-4

Pav bhaji masala                                1 ½ tbsp

Salt                                                      1 ½ tbsp

Butter                                                  3 tbsp

Pav                                                      8

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped       ¼ cup

Lemon, cut into wedges                      2

Method

Boil green peas in salted water till soft, drain, mash lightly and set aside. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Sauté till light brown. Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute. Add half the quantity of tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala. Add capsicum, mashed peas, cauliflower, potatoes and one and half cups of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed. Add Pavbhaji Masala, salt and remaining tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously. Heat half of the butter in a thick-bottomed pan or a tawa. Slice pav horizontally into two and pan fry in butter for half a minute, pressing two or three times or till pav is crisp and light brown. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, remaining butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining chopped onion and lemon wedges.

My Notes:

• You can also add veggies like beans, carrots ect.

• If you dont get pav buns, go ahead with normal milk buns or butter buns.

• Chopped tomatoes can be added too. Dont skip chopped raw onions and coriander leaves while serving.

• The bhaji goes well with toasted bread too.

• Dont skip butter as its the main ingredients which makes this chat tastier.

Recipe adapted from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

See more at: http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/bombay-pavbhaji.aspx#sthash.XZCIG5Do.dpuf

Once ur veggies are boiled and kept ready pav bhaji can be done in a flash. Whenever its chat outside I go blindly with pav bhaji they are my fav anytime and in my case the craving never ends for chat atleast when it comes to pav bhaji.

Spiderman - Themed Cake

Birthday is a special day, especially when it is little children's birthday. Lighting of candles, singing the birthday song and cutting the sweet birthday cake are the common things included in a birthday celebration. 

 People make birthday cakes according to the likes, of the birthday person. Small kids mostly like birthday cakes designed with their favorite fictional characters. One of such characters liked by children is Spiderman. Spiderman is one of the most famous superhero known all across the world. 

Here is a birthday cake made for two little cuties,

Ruth & Zac, who likes Super heroes - 

Spider man 

 Its a Chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache, butter cream and fondant covered. 

WISHING YOU BOTH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Love you :)

How to make fondant with marshmallow (Simple & Cheaper)

MARSHMALLOW FONDANT RECIPE

• 1 package (16 ounces) white mini or big marshmallow take marshmallow according to how much you need  for your cake and theme
• 2-5 tablespoons water
• 2 pounds (about 8 cups) sifted confectioners' sugar or more (icing sugar)
• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (for greasing, Crisco you will find in lulu ghee and dalda area)
• Vanilla essence – u can add flavors of ur choice 1tsp

Note: Melted marshmallow is very sticky. Grease the utensils, your counter and hands well with shortening.

To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high to 1 minute; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving  until melted . Place solid vegetable shortening in easily accessed bowl so you can reach into it with fingers as you are working. Grease hands and counter generously.

 Place 3/4 of the confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture. Flavoring can be added at this point if desired. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a  sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.

Continue kneading, adding additional confectioners' sugar and re-greasing hands and counter so the fondant doesn't stick. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry; add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time) kneading until fondant forms a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing, about 8 minutes.

Allow Marshmallow Fondant to sit, double-wrapped, overnight. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.

When not working with fondant, make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in a bag to prevent it from drying out. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick.

Pictorial Presentation of the recipe:

 Storing: Do not store the fondant in the fridge. It will get moist and spoil. Keep it dry. As long as you keep it dry it will last almost forever.Fondant can be stored outside in room temperature in an airtight container or wrap it in wax paper or foil, or plastic wrap. It has self life of one to two years.  

 Store it in a dry place. 

Toadstool / Mushroom Themed Birthday Cake

How cute is this!? I wish I could have someone make me this cake for my birthday.

Girly birthday cakes are much more fun to make! The colors are vibrant, red,pink, yellow, green! Loved it. Here's another one for the collection. 

A Toadstool Birthday Cake made for our  friend's daughter ALEENA, who is celebrating her 12^th birthday. This is my favorite .

WISHING YOU  VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEENA...

As I mentioned earlier, that I am not a great cake decorator. So when making children’s novelty cake, I am truly out of my depth. I have no idea how I made it. Thank God, as things often do, it turned out well. 

For the cake, I baked 3 chocolate cake sponges in two different sized bowls.Two cakes, in 6’’ round cake pan and one in a medium sized dome pan, which I used as the top.  Once I baked the round cakes, I cut it  from the middle with a round cake ring.  Then I layered the cakes and put the butterscotch frosting as filling in between. I iced both cakes separately with a generous helping of butter icing and allowed it to “set” in the fridge before proceeding with the decorating as I wanted the cakes to be nice and firm to work with. I used fondant for decorating the whole cake.  

Wow, she shouted “Toadstool Cake”, the minute she saw it, and I saw the biggest smile when I delivered the cake. I have to say, even I was very impressed with my efforts.

*Smiles*

Chocolate Swiss Roulade and Cup Cakes

Chocolate roulade is just a fancy term for a chocolate swiss roll  !! 

Swiss roll is made by rolling a thin sheet of sponge cake spread with jam into a log shape. Usually served in slices, the result is a spiral of cake layered with jam. Variations can include whipped cream fillings, sometimes mixed with chopped fresh or dried fruit; the sponge itself can also be flavoured with ingredients such as chocolate.

Swiss rolls should be eaten within a few days of making. If cream is used in the filling, the roll should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

The results are heavenly; a small slice will do for every culinary occasion, from the traditional afternoon coffee break to a special dinner party.

Enjoy !!!

Chicken Kati / Kathi Rolls

Rolls and wraps are very popular these days. These Kathi rolls are very easy to make and easy to serve.

A Kathi roll /Kati roll is street-food originating from Kolkata, India. Kathi means bamboo skewers. During the colonial rule the kebabs were used to be served on these bamboo skewers and since then the name kathi came into existence and slowly became synonymous with any kind of paratha which is rolled with stuffing. Hence the name kathi roll was coined. Traditionally a kathi roll is kebab wrapped in a layered paratha. However with many improvisations, kathi roll has become quite versatile. Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kathi roll.

The stuffing can always be experimented with. Vegetarians can use veggies while non vegetarians may add a few chicken pieces. After eating Kathi rolls in Azad Bread Factory,Trivandrum. I was inspired to make this typical Calcutta rolls at home. It was so tasty  and I like the way the roll is made.   But when I tried this chicken kathi roll , I really loved it. So simple, filling and tasty! So thought I should post it. It is very easy and simple, you can pack this in lunch box for yourself or your kids. You can also make as a snack.

This delicious dish is easily put together and really tasty. Juicy pieces of spicy chicken are wrapped in Chapatis or Parathas that has been coated with egg! when the chicken is ready, all you need to do is assemble the rolls! It is  very filling and can be made with different stuffings. Here I made with chicken and vegetable filling to make it more delicious. Try out this easy and delicious recipe of chicken kathi roll. It is simply irresistible.

Ingredients:

For rotis: same chapathis recipe

Whole wheat flour/atta -1 cups

Salt

Water to knead the dough

For filling:

Boneless Chicken - cooked and grated

Julienne mixed vegetables – 1 cup (carrot, capsicum, & beans)

Green chili -2 cut diagonally

Onions - 2 finely slice 

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

 Red Chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Green Chilli Sauce - 1 1/2 tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1 tsp

For Assembling:

Eggs – 4 beaten with salt and pepper

Olive oil / any refined oil  2-3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

1. To make rotis

Add salt to the wheat flour, combine, slowly add water to form a soft yet slightly firm dough. Cover and let it rest till you get the stuffing ready.

To prepare rotis, pinch a large lemon sized ball of dough, dust the working surface with some atta and roll out the stuffed dough to form 6″-7″ diameter circles.Heat a iron tawa and once its hot, place a roti and let it cook lightly on both sides. Prepare all the rotis and place them in a casserole to keep soft.

2. Preparing roti and omelet

Beat 4 eggs with pepper powder and pinch salt (to taste). Bear in mind that you will be making 4 omelets, respectively, for each kathi roll. Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. The diameter of the pan should be the same as your paratha or chapati. Add 1 tsp of oil per omelet, to the pan. Slowly pour in 1/4 of the egg mix and swirl, to cover the pan. As soon as you see that the bottom of the omelet is set and the top is still soft and custard-like, place the the roti on top, it will cling to the omelet.Gently insert a spatula underneath the omelet and flip it over. Let the roti bronzen a bit, then remove from flame. The omelet will be clinging to the roti now.

3. Fillings

Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a vessel, add the onions and green chilies  and saute for few secs. Add carrots, beans and capsicum and sauté for 7-8 mts.  Add garam masala and redchilli powder and saute for a minute. Add the cooked grated chicken and salt, in this and combine well. Turn off heat and keep aside.

4. Assemble kati roll:

-In a plate, place the roti with the omelet side up.

-Add the fillings. 

-Roll it tightly and eat warm.

To serve, wrap the lower part of the rotis in a butter paper or foil paper.

If you are preparing these for a crowd, you can prepare the roti and omelette and serve this to your guests.

Enjoy the big bite - filling and tasty! I am totally in love with this kathi roll these days!