Month: May 2013

Mini Mango No-Bake Cheese Cake

Mini Mango Cheese Cake1

Mother’s day is just round the corner (May 12th) so I guess its high time we talk about it. MOTHER is the most celebrated person in everyone’s life!

My mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me… Ever! She has been an inspiration, a best friend, a constant supporter and a role model. She has taught me many things and one of the best thing has been ‘to care’.

So let’s pamper her on at least this one day dedicated completely to mothers. She deserves brunch that she doesn’t have to prepare and to be showered with gifts she did not have to wrap. One day in a year is not too much to ask for when our mothers have stuck with us throughout during our various temper-tantrums. It’s waaay too little in fact!

So here is an inspiration dessert to make your Mother’s day celebration even more memorable! Your mumma will be proud of you! And don’t you think that this cheese cake going to be difficult to make. In fact its so easy that it will be ready even before you know it. Such an easy, no-bake treat and can be prepared in advance! 🙂

Mini Mango Cheese Cake2

I have used the recipe featured in Masterchef Australia by Matt Moran (he is sooo cute!).

Servings: Makes 8 individual mini mango cheese cakes, Requires: 8 silicone molds (I used heart shaped)

Ingredients:

For cheesecake base:

  • 8 digestive biscuits, coarsely crumbled
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted

For cheesecake filling:

  • 250 gm mango puree (I pureed mango Alphonso)
  • 250 gm cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup caster sugar (or more if your mangoes are not so sweet.. mine were)
  • 1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 2 tsp lemon/lime juice
  • 1/4 cup mango, diced into small cubes
  • Mint leaves, to garnish

Directions:

  1. Mix crumbled digestive biscuits and butter in a small bowl. Take 1 Tbsp of crumble mixture and press at the base of the silicone mold with a flat based glass. Repeat the procedure for rest of the molds and put them in refrigerator until you prepare the cheesecake filling.
  2. In the blender, process mango puree, cream cheese and caster sugar till smooth.
  3. Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 minutes to soften. Place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on High, until the gelatin dissolves.
  4. With the motor of the blender running, add the melted gelatin slowly to the cheesecake filling mixture and process until smooth then add lemon/lime juice.
  5. Divide the filling among the molds, place into the fridge to set for 2-3 hours.
  6. Un-mold the cheesecake carefully from the silicone mold by passing the knife around the edges. Serve it topped with mango cubes and a mint leave.

*You can substitute agar agar or chinagrass for gelatin to make it completely vegetarian.

Share this recipe:

Zucchini, Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Zucchini, Tomato & Red pepper Soup1

There is nothing like a hearty soup on a rainy day. Nothing beats the smell of rosemary infused with all the ‘veggie gooey mess’ after a full day’s hardwork.

Bangalore weather has occasional spell of rain ready for us at the most unpredictable time of the week and it is always much appreciated as it would have arrived after the sun was done pelting us with its blazing agony. I know it’s summer at most of the places around the world but I just couldn’t resist making and posting this nutritious soup loaded with good stuff after a rainy evening.

Coming back to the soup, it is a ‘one-pot meal’. Totally convenient when you don’t want to do extra dishes. 😉 Just throw in whatever vegetables you are likely to have in your refrigerator to a pressure cooker. Blend and sieve them after pressure cooking and infuse with rosemary, add chunks of zucchini, season it and Hallelujah!!! Dinner is ready! Who thought it was this simple?! 🙂

Zucchini, Tomato & Red pepper Soup2

Serves: 2 hungry souls as dinner

Recipe can be easily doubled if you wish to freeze extra portion or feeding larger family

Ingredients:

  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 carrot, peeled
  • 1 celery
  • 2 handfuls spinach, washed and dried
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 4 Cups water
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • few sprigs of fresh rosemary or a pinch of dried rosemary
  • salt and pepper, for seasoning

Directions:

In a pressure cooker, combine coarsely chopped tomatoes, carrot, celery, spinach and red pepper. Add 4 cups of water. Let cook for 10-15 minutes. Let rest for another 10-15 minutes and then open the pressure cooker.

Puree them in a blender and sieve.

Take olive oil in a sauce pan, add rosemary and diced zucchini to it. Saute for 5 minutes and add pureed vegetables to it. Add 1 cup of water if it is too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve it with a drizzle of fresh sour cream or a shaving of Parmesan cheese.

*I had my 1st portion with Double Margarita Pizza and 2nd portion with garlic bread. Feel free to pair up as per your liking.

Hope you enjoy! 🙂

Share this recipe:

Fig Cake

Fig Cake2

I have a soft corner for fresh figs. In fact, I adore them… kinda love them…!! My husband on the contrary, detests fresh and dried figs both. How unfortunate for him?! 😛

The other day when I went grocery shopping, I found a box of fresh, ripe figs at my supermarket for just 90 INR/- and so I bought 2 of them! And I enjoyed the first box as is.

Smooth, leathery outside and velvety, succulent insides… Perfect petite size! Plus it’s a effortless, no-fuss, non-messy eating. Just wash and pop them in your mouth. Voila! Explosion of palate-cleansing freshness! Salivating already?! 😉

Fig Cake1

I decided to bake with them as an attempt to change my husband’s attitude towards these delicious babies. But I had never baked with fresh figs (apart from using them as my pizza topping… Totally loveee it!!! Nom Nom…). Even though I have baked with dried figs before creating Dried Fig Spice Cake, I wanted to bake something more classy with the bunch of fresh figs. That is how my hunt for a mind-blowing recipe started.

And after browsing through so many blogs, I finally found a recipe which I think will do complete justice to them.

A recipe which suits my own style of baking with simple ingredients and a quick whip!

For the recipe click on the link: http://playfulcooking.com/cakes-cupcakes-muffins/honeyed-fig-cake/

Fig Cake3

*The changes I made to the recipe:

  1. Instead of 1/2 cup sugar called for in the recipe I used 3/4 cup sugar.
  2. Replaced all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

Apart from that I followed the recipe to the T and the resultant cake was light, soft, moist and juicy! Perfect for the tea party!

So what are you waiting for?! Click on the link above and start baking! 🙂

Share this recipe: