Vanilla Wafer Cake

                                                                       A Sweet Note
I am ending October on A Sweet Note.  This is a cake I had at a party many years ago and I ended up making it the next day.  I have always wanted to post this recipe on my blog because this is such an unusually scrumptious, delicious, give me more  Vanilla Wafer Cake.

The Recipe:  

1 cup butter at room temperature; 2 cups soft brown sugar; 4 eggs; 3 cups vanilla wafers, crushed;1/2 cup milk;   350gms chopped nuts.

For Topping:  1/8 cup butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar; 3 tbsp milk; almond flakes for decoration.

Beat butter and sugar in bowl till fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla wafer crumbs and milk, mixing well.  Stir in  nuts.  Pour into well-greased and lined round 8" pan.  Bake at 275°F for 40 minutes or until cake is done. Cool, unmould and  pour  butter caramel glaze on top.  Decorate with almond flakes.

To Make The Glaze:  Mix the butter, brown sugar and  milk together in a medium sized non stick pan.  Bring to the boil and lower the heat.  Simmer (takes about 5 minutes) till a two string consistency is reached.  Remove from fire, beat for 5 minutes with a fork, pour over cake and decorate with almonds.  This wonderful Vanilla Wafer Cake will certainly add A Sweet Note to any party.

Extravagant Carrot Shake

                                                 Deepavali Three in One Shake

Deepavalli is certainly the right time for this extravagant Three in One Vanilla Almond Carrot Breakfast Shake.  This lovely orange drink not only activates your taste buds, it boosts up your system, keeps you full and provides you with energy from vegetable protein source,  giving you the stamina for all those Festive Parties and social gatherings.  Taken over a period of time (like I have been doing), it enhances your skin, reverses the ageing process , provides the body with all the vital nutrients,  maintains normal  blood sugar levels, helps the body retain adequate amount of water and enables you to move to a high fitness level- burn fat and pack muscles.  One of my favourites and I look forward to having my Extravagant Carrot Shake this weekend.

The Recipe:

150 ml low fat milk; 150 ml cold water; 1 medium carrot, boled and mashed to a smooth consistency; 1 tbsp almond meal; 2 tbsp (Scoops)  French Vanilla Soy Powder; 2 tbsp (scoops) F3 Protein Powder; ice cubes- optional

Blend all ingredients together and serve immediately.  Great for all ages.  And the bonus is this is a low calorie high nutrition breakfast.

Exotic Banana Leaf Fish

Banana Leaf Fish Parcel        

October was indeed a month for feasting and I for one really enjoyed it.  This is a traditional recipe made by my sister Anu and all of us smacked our lips in anticipation and enjoyed the wonderful outcome.

The Recipe:

1 large fish - 2 kg , scaled and cleaned and kept whole.  Wash, rub with turmeric and salt and keep aside to drain.  Make gashes with sharp knife on both sides to rub in the masala.

Large banana leaves to wrap the fish.  Oil for deep frying the fish.

Masala:  1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp turmeric; 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tsp black pepper powder; 1 onion, quartered; 1/8 medium coconut grated; salt to taste.  Grind to a smooth paste and marinade fish overnight in this masala

For Gravy:  3 large onions, sliced fine; 2 sprigs curry leaves; 2 tomatoes chopped fine; chilli powder and salt to taste; oil for seasoning.

Deep fry fish on both sides to a golden brown.  Drain and place in the centre of banana leaf retaining remaining masala for the gravy.  Fold the leaf into a parcel and tie with string.   Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C 15 minutes each side or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.

Next, make the gravy.  Heat 3 tbsp oil in a nonsick pan.  Add the curry leaves and onions and fry to a golden brown.  Throw in the tomatoes and stir fry till thick and gravyish.  Add salt  and chilli powder to taste and a little water if required.  Mix in the remaining masala marinade.    Simmer for 5 minutes.

Untie the banana leaf and pour the gravy over the baked fish.  Garnish or decorate as you please.  Serve with white rice and vegetables of your choice.  A most impressive dish.    The outcome is phenomenal.  We all admired it for a while before attacking it.  And wiped the platter clean.  Hats off to Anu for this Exotic Banana Leaf Fish.

Kiwi Pineapple Cake

De Luscious Birthday Cake 

October has been an extraordinary month full of celebration and fun and best of all eating food cooked by others.  What a treat for me.  Serita made this De Luscious Birthday Cake that vanished in one sitting and left me wanting for me.  It's not easy getting recipes out of her, so here is my version of this De Luscious Birthday Cake.

The Recipe:

For The Cake:   175 gms salted butter; 175 gms caster sugar; 3 large eggs; 175 gms self raising flour, sieved 3 times.

For Filling & Topping:  250 gms cream cheese at room temperature; 1/4 cup curds, beaten; sugar to taste; sliced pineapple (tinned) and sliced kiwi; 2 tbsp apricot liqueur; 2 tbsp of pineapple juice from tinned pineapple.

Grease and line two  8" round sandwich cake pans. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius.  Cream butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.  Gently beat in the  eggs one at a time.  If the mixture begins to curdle add a tbsp of flour to the mixture.  Fold in the sieved flour with a metal spoon.  Divide the mixture equally between the two pans.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or till toothpick or skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool.  Unmould onto board or cake plate.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar to taste and curds till smooth and thick.  Mix the liqueur and pineapple juice together and drizzle 2 tbsp each over the two cakes.  Spread half the quantity of cream cheese mixture  over one of the cakes.  Decorate with pineapple and kiwi.  Place second cake on top and repeat the process.  Store in refrigerator.  This is one of the best cakes I have ever eaten.  Thank you Serita for an enjoyable De Luscious experience.  

Queen Of Desserts

Hazelnut Tiramisu

What could be more relaxing than indulging in food cooked by none other than Serita,  the Queen Of Tiramisu?   That's what we did a week ago, thoroughly enjoying the experience.  Loaded with calories, cream, hazelnuts, cream cheese, rum and coffee, this is a dessert made in heaven for the brave hearted - read Herbalife users!!!

The Recipe:

12 sponge fingers; 1 x 50 gm sachet instant hazelnut coffee; 1 cup hot water; 3 dsp rum; 250 gms cream cheese at room temperature; 250 grams high fat cream; 50 gms of hazel nuts, crushed coarsely ; sugar to taste; cocoa for dusting on top.

Beat the cream cheese and cream together with the sugar to taste until smooth and thick.  Dissolve the hazelnut coffee in the cup of hot water.  Add the rum and mix well.  Soak the sponge fingers in the coffee - rum mixture and place 6 of them in a layer on the bottom of the glass dish.   Scatter half of the hazel nuts over the sponge fingers.  Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over the nuts ensuring an even layer.   Repeat the three layers again,   finishing with a dusting of cocoa on top.  Pour remaining coffee mixture over the sponge fingers before layering the cream cheese . Refrigerate overnight and serve cold after dinner.  A dessert made in heaven indeed.

Leftover Pie

Five Star Pie

It's fascinating to see what one could make from leftovers languishing in the refrigerator.  I had some pasta,  mince, mint rice (rice cooked with 1 sliced onion and a bunch of mint leaves) and a piece of dry cheese.  Oh and some chicken soup too.  Put them together in layers, pour the soup over and you have a gorgeous  Five Star Pie.

The Recipe:

For The Mince: http://www.fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2013/07/family-trade-mark.html

2 cups leftover pasta- whatever you have will do.  I used spaghetti; 1 cup mince; 1 cup chicken soup; 1/2 cup of Mint Rice;  50 gms of dry cheese, sliced thin; salt and pepper to taste.  Baby tomatoes for garnishing.

Oil the pie dish and arrange ingredients in layers starting with the spaghetti, then the mint rice, followed by the mince.  Pour the soup all over the mince and let it seep down on to the spaghetti.  Arrange the cheese on top and bake in a preheated oven at 150 Degrees Centigrade or till cheese is brown and bubbly.  Garnish with baby tomatoes and serve hot.  Watch your favourite TV programme as you tuck into this delicious Five Star Pie.

Gourmet Garlic Chilli Prawns

Once In A Bluemoon Garlic Chilli Prawns

It's a real advantage to have great cooks around you at party time.  Everything gets done in a jiffy and all we have to do is wait for the guests to arrive.  In our house too many cooks do not spoil the broth, they merely enhance it.  We had guests last week and so each of us took on one dish. The result was a meal fit for a king.

The Recipe:

1 kg prawns, shelled, deveined, washed and drained - retaining the tails; 1 1/2 bulb of garlic, minced; 1 inch piece ginger minced; a small bunch of spring onions, cut very fine; chilli flakes to taste (depends on how spicy you want it); 1/2 tsp pepper corns, crushed coarsely ; 1 cup chicken stock; coriander leaves to garnish; 1/2 cup cream; salt to taste and 2 tbsp oil.  

Heat oil in a non stick wok.  When very hot saute the garlic and ginger till golden brown.  Throw in the spring onions and stir for a minute.  Add the prawns and fry on high heat until they change colour.  Lower heat and add the pepper powder, chilli flakes to taste and the stock.  Cover and cook till the stock is reduced to half the quantity.  Add the cream, salt to taste, mix well and remove from fire.  Serve as an accompaniment to the main course or as a soup.  The flavour is amazing and and it tastes as good as it looks.