Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie...

...again for Thanksgiving 2011. Same recipe as last time.

Holiday Cookies

Parmesan Crusted Goat Cheese with Basil Oil

Parmesan Crusted Goat Cheese with Basil Oil from Annie Eats is the prettiest looking appetizer ever.

Image from Annie Eats

I tried this a while ago and messed it up a bit so I had to cover the cheese ball with sumac, but it wasn't too bad and I got to use my sumac supply :).

Turkey meatballs for kofta curry?

The other day I planned to make kofta curry but some last minute work turned up and I knew there was no way I could finish cooking by dinner time. So I ran to the store and picked up some turkey meatballs. They look kinda ugly but taste pretty decent. All I had to do was saute them a bit in olive oil with some jeera (cumin seeds) and coriander seeds in a pan and they turned a beautiful golden brown, after which I could just proceed to use them in a regular curry. This isn't cheating, is it?

Halloween cupcakes

I halved this recipe and frosted the cupcakes with a simple butter cream frosting colored with orange food color.

Yummy salad?

Quite incredulous, but we actually liked this salad when I tried it at home a few days ago. Paired with a veggie burger, its an interesting and healthy dinner option. I made the salad with some wild arugula, black beans, feta cheese, thinly sliced green pears, cherry tomatoes and some light balsamic vinaigrette.Try it sometime...

Kinda healthy dark chocolate chip cookies

It's the season to make cookies, which means the guilt index goes up as you gobble them down. But, chocolate chip cookies need not always pack an astounding amount of calories. I made up this slightly low fat version of chocolate chip cookies and they turned out pretty good. I can definitely make them again. And at 86.5 calories per cookie, most of us can afford to eat at least one each day :)
If you try out this recipe, do post me a note, I'd love to get feedback on these cookies.

 

It's National Bundt Cake Day

Enjoy!

Thinking about Thanksgiving - Roasted root vegetable stuffing

Cornbread Dressing with Roasted Root Vegetables (adapted from Bon Appétit via epicurious)

Serves 6

6 ounces shallots, peeled, halved if small, quartered if large

8 ounces carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick on the diagonal
8 ounces parsnips, sliced ¼-inch thick on diagonal
8 ounces rutabaga, cut into ½-inch cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
2 cups ½-inch cubes of cornbread
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup low-salt chicken broth

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the shallots, carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper and drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and browned around the edges. Add the garlic during last 15 minutes. Set the roasted garlic aside; transfer the other vegetables to a large bowl.

2. Spread the cornbread cubes over the now-empty baking sheet. Bake until dry, 10-15 minutes, stirring about halfway through the cooking time.

3. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Mince the garlic; add it to the vegetables along with the herbs and cornbread cubes. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the broth and butter; pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture and gently fold to combine.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover the pan with foil; bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes longer.




From: The way the cookie crumbles

Thinking about Thanksgiving: Shrimp-stuffed Mushrooms

Hmm.. these look interesting, just need to swap out the shrimp for some paneer or tofu and it will be perfect for the vegetarians!

Shrimp-stuffed Mushrooms: Recipe of the Day:
Filed under: Recipes, Entertaining

Photo:Better Homes and Gardens

Stuffed mushrooms are another classic appetizer to love; you can make them a million different ways. This recipe combines shrimp (or crabmeat) with bread crumbs, sherry, onion, garlic, and herbs for a delicate, very sophisticated filling for the 'shroom.



Recipe for Shrimp-stuffed Mushrooms



Watch this Video on How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms



More Stuffed-Mushroom Recipes

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Mocha Bundt Cake

I made this lovely mocha bundt cake using the recipe from Baking Bites - the coffee aroma was lovely. I substituted the glaze for powdered sugar to make things simpler. I hope you try it too.

A journey

I first came across a French macaron a couple of years ago when I was reading Tartlette. She posts the most amazing pics and recipes of macarons ever. When she recommended visiting Paulette in San Francisco, I knew the macarons there would be the best. When A and I decided to visit the west coast, we had to drop by at Paulette. And Oh My God, I (we) have never been more enamored by a dessert. Those amazing colors and that awesome flavor - we were big fans.

Ever since then, a corner of my mind has been nagging me to try them out at home but I knew that an attempt would be pretty disastrous. This year I finally decided to give in and just do it - and for no less an occasion than A's bday! And I did, and I was right - it was disastrous!!


The first attempt was something like this - this was some kind of chocolate flavor that went straight from the tray to dustbin even before i baked it.

But, I did not give up and tried again. Attempt 2 - Rose - started off well, but I used wax paper instead of parchment paper (stupid me) and very horribly burnt them and had to wrestle out off the tray. Most of them were inedible but A was brave enough to try one (and got his teeth stuck together!).

Attempt 3 - Green tea - this time I used aluminum foil and A claims that there were edible, but I was extremely disappointed. You can see the burnt edges :(

 For attempt 4, A decided to help me and I was so irritated by this point that I did not even bother getting the process right. It was just discarded and the mixture never saw the light of the day.

At this point I almost gave up and decided not to ever try macarons again.
But that would have been really sad, because macarons are so colorful and summer is here and I want to be able to make them.

So with a heavy heart, I tried my next attempt - this is #6, if you are still counting. I ran out of new flavors and went back to chocolate (remember #1?).

The mixture was decent, it gave me enough for 3 trays. But I was not very optimistic.

The first batch was not a happy one - most of the crust was wafer thin and I was still having trouble removing it from the tray (in spite of the parchment paper)

 And then my luck changed - a bit :)

And things got a little better...

And a little more ...

And then finally, 1 dozen eggs, 1 pound sugar, 12 oz of almonds and a lot of blood, sweat and tears later (okay exaggerating a bit)...

What can I say... I am happy! They are still not what I aimed for, but at least I know, I can now try them again and hopefully someday will make my perfect macaron.

Happy b'day AJ

Red Rock

The spires rise high above the desert

Glowing red as they catch the sun,

The trees cluster on the mountain side

Like flies on a sweet honey bun.

The great bird hoots a haunting cry

Scattering her call over the wind,

The wily fox emerges from his resting hole

As thin as a partridge skinned.

The lonely road enters the dark forest

O'er and around the towering block,

The unsuspecting visitor drives along

On the byway towards Red Rock.

 

 Sedona - Cathedral Rock

Wanderlust in Japan

Cherry blossoms adorned the spring time,
And winter was past it's prime.
The drive was a delight,
The sky was full of light,
And my thoughts were all in a rhyme.

Ancient History filled the young city,
And the crowd was oh so witty.
The springs were hot,
The soup was in the pot,
And I felt like I needed no more pity.

The enchanting garden measured a span,
And the castle was made by a clan.
The shrimp were sweet,
The views were a treat,
And I was wandering around in Japan.