Chocolate covered Strawberries

I've never been a believer in Valentines day, a marketing gimmick. Do you need a separate calendar day to celebrate love? I think not.

4 years of long distance relationship and almost 3 years of marriage...M never leaves home without giving me a peck on my cheek, gets me roses (red ones) just like that on a regular day, will always ask me about my day everyday. So I'm ok to say I don't need one calendar day to celebrate my love, my life with M. 

So Saturday we just sat watching season 1 of supernatural I decided to make some chocolate covered strawberries. I wanted to do the tuxedo strawberries but once I melted the chocolate somehow the consistency and color didnt work. Not much of an improvisation required here so lo! chocolate covered strawberries.

Now just because Im one of those people who isnt into it, doesnt mean you shouldnt. Have a happy valentines day!

Prep Time - 5mins    | Cooking Time   - 10mins  | Serves  - 4

Ingredients

• 1 box strawberries
• 1/2 bag of nestle semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Wash and pat dry the strawberries with a paper towel. You can melt the chocolate in a microwave but I prefer using the double boiler method. Microwaving can cause the chocolate to burn if not taken proper care. Double boiler method mentioned below. Dip the strawberries in chocolate one by one and place the strawberries on the plate and refrigerate it. Serve within 48hours. 

Double Boiler Method

You need a sauce pan and a small bowl. Simmer water in the sauce pan, place the small bowl on the sauce pan. Make sure the water doesnt touch the bowl. Place chocolate chips, heavy cream in bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, use a spatula and stir.

Spicy Potato Subji

A spicy potato dry dish good to be eaten with chapatti or yogurt rice. I made a mild yogurt rice with very little spice and ate this sabji with it.

 

 

 

Prep Time - 5mins  | Cooking Time - 10mins  | Serves - 2

 

Ingredients

 

• 2 Medium potatoes diced
• 1 Medium sized potatoes
• 1 tblsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tblsp Cooking oil
• 2 dried red chillied (I use Byadagi)
• 1 tsp Deeghi Mirch (MDH brand) Im going to give a listing of the different chilli powders you can use in another post and how they affect the taste of the food.
• 1 tblspn finely chopped cilantro
• Salt for taste

 

Heat oil in a non stick pan add cumin seeds, dried chillies and fry. Add the onions and saute until golden brown. Now add the potatoes cover and cook for a minute. Now add the chilli powder, salt ans cilantro mix throughly cover and cook until potato is tender.

Tamrind Rice/Puliyogare

This is a southindian dish a easy way to add zest to good old white rice. I simply love tamrind rice and I totally cheat on this recipe. My mother used to make the paste/powder from scratch. I simply buy mine from the indian grocery store. Ive tried several brands for this recipe (MTR, Aachi, Mother's recipe) and Ive always end up liking MTR puliyogare paste. I personally prefer the paste to the powder mixes easily and gives an extra tanginess of the tamrind.

 

 

 

 

Prep Time - 1 Min  | Cooking Time - 10 Mins (Including the rice) | Serves - 4

 

Ingredients

• 2 Cups cooked rice
• 3 tblspn of MTR Puliyogare mix.

 

Heat pan on low, add mix and fry. Add cooked rice usually doesnt require salt but add a little if you need it. Serve hot.

Lemon Rice/Chitranna

This is a quick and easy recipe on a busy day. My brother-in-law's garden yielded about 200 lemons, we took home about 60 of them shared some with friends and I still have 35 left. Now these are not your regular lemons, they are the size of an orange, easily squeezable, juicy and perfect. I used about 10 to make spicy hot pickle recipe coming soon...Today's recipe if for Lemon rice or Chitranna (Kannada) a breakfast item in Karnataka. Also a good lunch box item with leftover rice, you can cook up in 5mins.

 

Prep Time - 5mins   | cooking time - 10mins | Serves - 2

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 green chillies split and deseeded
• 1 cup peanuts with skin
• 1 tblsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 dried chillies (I personally use Byadgi, they give good flavor and color)
• 1 tblsp chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tblsp cooking oil
• Salt to Taste

 

Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard seeds let it splutter. Add the dried red chillies and peanuts and fry a bit. Once the peanuts change color (turn crimson) add the green chillies and onion fry until translucent. Add the turmeric powder and fry. Turn off the gas and now add the lemon juice. Mix the cooked white rice mixing gently sprinkle cilantro leaves. Serve hot.

Paneer Burji

Quick, easy make on a busy day. Tuesday is U-Jam and I usually have an hour to cook and hit the class. I made paneer burji yesterday with chapattis.

 

 

 

 




Prep Time - 5 Mins    Cooking Time - 5     MinsServes - 2    Calories -  480

 

Ingredients

 

• 1/2 block of Paneer shredded (I use nanak)
• 1 Medium onion (Red/White) finely diced
• 1 medium tomato finely diced
• 3 green chillies split and deseeded
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp garam masala (Badshah)
• Fresh coriander chopped for garnish
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• Salt to taste

 

Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and green chillies let it splutter. Add diced onions and saute. Add the spices, tomatoes and lively simmer for a few minutes till the oil separates. Add the shredded paneer and salt and combine well. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.