Triple chocolate cookies

" Choco-chip cookies are a favorite in our household, and I guess it's the same in any household with kids. These ones are so simple and so yum, dense and chocolaty and not overwhelmingly sweet, that its difficulty to keep ones hands off them ..."

Makes 24 small cookies or 12 large cookies

Ingredients:

• 9 tbsp butter (at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup castor sugar ( or 75 grams)
• 2/3 cup firm-packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 2/3 cups flour ( take half regular flour and half whole wheat flour) 
• 2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened coco
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch  of salt 
• 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 - 3 nonstick baking sheets

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C ( 350 deg F) 
4. Mix in bowl butter and both the sugars with a wooden spoon or beater until the mixture looks soft and fluffy ( about 10 minutes). 
5. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl and beat the mixture well
6. Shift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Mix on low speed
7. Then add all the chocolate chips to the bowl and mix in with a wooden spoon until everything is thoroughly combined
8. Divide the mixture into 4 quarters, and then each quarter into 3 parts.
9. Dip your hand in cold water, take one part mixture and roll into ball, similarly roll all the others.
10. Put the balls on the baking sheet, making sure there is enough distance between each ( 1 1/2 inches approx) 
11. Bake in the middle shelf for 12-15 minutes, keep an eye and remove once the bottom seems just done, else you will overcook. ( the top will be soft and will harden once cool) 
12. Cool for 5 min, remove from baking sheet and eat hot for the best hot chocolaty cookies ever

Note :

• If you want to make individual cookies, then make 18 or 24. 

Layered salad with yogurt dressing

 "I love this cooling salad in the summer months, its yogurt- garlic dressing flavours the entire bowl. Its perfect for when you have guests, as you can make it 2-3 hours before dinner, and just mix and serve when time comes...

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of bread cut into 1 inch size squares for making croutons
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 5 tbsp thick yogurt
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
• Lemon juice
• Tobasco 
• Salt
• 1 large or 2 small potatoes
• 50 grams beans (cut into 2 inch pieces)
• 2 handfulls of iceberg lettuce or mixed greens

Method:

1. Croutons - Mix the first 4 ingredients (bread + olive oil + oregano + salt) layer on a baking tray and bake them for 10 minutes, at 200 degrees till they are golden and crispy
2.  Dressing - Mix the next 7 ingredients (yogurt + cheese + oil +garlic + lemon + tobasco + salt) in a transparent glass salad bowl
3. Peel the potato, cut it in thin rounds and boil in salted water
4. Once the potatoes are almost done add the beans and cook for 2-3 minutes till crunchy. Put it under cold water immediately to stop the cooking process
5. Assembling the salad - In the glass bowl, on top of the dressing layer all the potatoes, then the beans.Top with the lettuce or mixed greens
6. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill till it is needed (2-3 hours is fine)
7. At serving time add the croutons and mix the entire salad 

Notes:

• In the dressing, you can use as much tobasco or lemon or garlic as you like
• This salad has to be made ahead so that the dressing ingredients perfume the salad leaves

Molten chocolate cakes

" These are the yummiest cakes ever, my sons favorite. Use good quality chocolate, and avoid over-cooking, to be rewarded by crispy exteriors and meltingly soft centers. Its worth making them, just to see the joy in my kids faces ..."

   

Servings : 12 small cakes, enough for 12 people

Ingredients:

•  200 grams dark cooking chocolate
• 200 grams butter
• 4 eggs
• 125 grams castor sugar
• 60 grams flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter (for double boiling, put chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of shimmering water (a double boiler), making sure that the water does not touch the chocolate bowl. So the chocolate is melted only by the steam).
3. Take it off heat and add sugar to the chocolate/butter mix, in a slow stream, while whisking well, for almost 5 minutes (use a beater if you have)
4. Whisk eggs slightly with a fork.
5. When the chocolate mixture is at room temperature, add the eggs in 4 parts, whisking well after each addition 
6. Fold the flour slowly, a little at a time,till it is incorporated. (to fold add a spoonful of flour at a time,mixing gently with a spatula or a metal spoon in a cut and turn motion, check web for technique)
7. Pour the mixture into single cup-cake molds, till half of the mold is covered 
8. Put the cakes in the oven for 7 - 10 minutes and take it out once the outside is done and the center is still soft and gooey ( when u check the center with toothpick, should be gooey and not dry)
9. Eat immediately for the yummiest molten cake ever .......

Notes:

• Incase you want to eat the cakes later half cook the cakes initially and then put them back in the oven just before serving
• You could use coffee or Kahlua liqueur for added flavor 
• Folding, basically implies, as little mixing as possible, to ensure the lightest batter possible
• Over cooking is a big possibility, so take out when center is really really gooey and you think its undercooked. If you wait for cake center to feel cooked, then the center will not be gooey, still tasty though)

Steamed fish

" A subtle steam fish recipe, which I make, whenever I am sure that my fish is really really fresh. Its light and the juices are so yummy that we have to portion them out equally to avoid any friction. Best eaten with steamed or boiled rice accompanied with stir fried vegetables"

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg fish whole (or Fillets)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp light soya sauce
• 1 spring onion (Green and white)
• 1 1/2 inc piece of ginger
• 2 red chillies
• 2 tbsp soya sauce (Dark or light)
• 2 tbsp rice wine

Method: 

1. If you are using whole fish, scour the fish on 1 side making 3 diagonal cuts and a pocket on the other side
2.  Make a marinade of salt, sesame oil and the 2 tbsp of light soya sauce and marinate the fish for 30 minutes
3. Finely shread the spring onion,ginger and the red chilly
4. In the plate which you are going to use for steaming, layer some of the spring onion,ginger and red chilly mixture, place the marinated fish over it
5. Divide the remaining spring onion,ginger and red chilly mixture, stuffing some in the pockets and the balance on top of the fish
6. Mix together the 2 tbsp soya sauce and 2 tbsp rice wine with the left over marinade and pour over the fish
7. Steam the fish on medium heat preferably in a bamboo steamer, for 7-10 minutes till done

Notes:

• Use any small sized fish, so that the fish is flavoured well ( grouper, red snapper, pomfret all work well)
• Make this fish recipe only if you have fresh fish
• You could use 2 bamboo steamers, one on top of the other, if the fish quantity does not fit in one layer. Do switch the steamers, upper one down and vice-versa half way through cooking time

Kaffir lime pannacotta

 "  A very popular dessert, gets rave reviews whenever made. I love its  freshness, and the kaffir lime leaf flavour is subtle, irresistible and yummy. De-moulding it can be a challenge, so suggest setting it in pretty little dessert glasses or bowls, to be eaten directly. Do make a few extra as they are never enough ..."

 Servings - 6

Ingredients:

• 200 ml full fat milk
• 200 ml cream
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 100 grams caster sugar
• 2 tsp gelatin powder
• 10 kaffir lime leaves (shredded by hand)
• 1/2 lime juice ( juice  of 1/2 a lime or lemon)
• 1 lime zest

Method: 

1. Keep ready, 6 dessert glasses or bowls (for individual serving), or 1 big bowl 
2. Combine the milk, cream and the coconut milk.Add the lemon zest, sugar and leaves and bring the mixture to a boil on a low flame
3. Remove it from heat, cover and let it seep for 1 hour
4.  Sieve mixture, removing the leaves
5. Prepare gelatin as per instructions ( see note for how to prepare powdered gelatin)
6.  Mix the gelatin in the milk mixture well (If you are using powdered gelatin, make sure the mixture is at the same temperature as the gelatin and mix a little at a time)
7. Cool the pannacotta mixture to room temperature
8. Add the lime juice, mix and pour it in the dessert glasses/bowls. Cover, with cling film and refrigerate them over night
9. At serving time, decorate the pannacotta with a few fresh orange segments and enjoy

Notes: 

• This recipe, can also be made without coconut milk. Just increase the quantity of milk and cream by 100 ml each
• Make sure that you seep for 1 hour for maximum flavour  
•  If you are using gelatin powder,the safest way to ensure the gelatin powder sets well, is to first soak the gelatin in 4 tbsp of cold water for 5 minutes.Then over a double boiler melt the gelatin till it is translucent and then use once its at the same temperature as the mixture
• You could also set the pannacotta in moulds, and de-mould on a serving plate.
•  To de-mould the pannacotta's, dip the molds in hot water for 2 seconds. Loosen edges with knife and turn over on the serving plate

Chicken cacciatore

"Chicken cacciatore, pronounced as 'kah-chuh-tawr-ee'  is an Italian hunter dish, with as many recipes as versions. Mine is a rustic version, cooked by two Italian ladies in the countryside, made on TV. Hit and trial, has led to my preferred quantities and resulted in the most flavourful chicken dish, I have ever made and eaten. Redolent with fresh rosemary, the trick is in the slow cooking. This results in light clean fresh flavours and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do ..."

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (skinned and cut into 8 or more pieces)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 2 onions
• 2 dried red chillies (Broken into half)
• 1 bunch of rosemary
• 3 bay-leaves
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 3 tomatoes
• 8 olives
• 1/2 red pepper sliced
• 1/2 yellow pepper sliced

Method:

1. To peel tomatoes, use a knife for making a cross at one end.Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for a  minute, take out, cool, peel and chop the tomatoes.
2. Slice the onions in 1/2 rounds
3. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil,lower the flame, add the garlic, onions, red chilly, bay-leaves and stir them all for 2 minutes till the onions are translucent
4. Add the chicken pieces in one layer, and add the rosemary,salt, pepper to the mixture and brown till it is golden.(All on low flame)
5. Add the white wine, tomatoes, olives and cook them together till the chicken is done.If it is needed you can add a bit of water but the final dish should not be too watery
6. At the last minute add the red and yellow peppers and serve with crusty white bread

Notes:

• The entire cooking process should be done on low flame only
• Make sure the chicken is completely dry when you add it to cooking utensil
• Ideally, use a large base frying pan or a flat wok, such that the chicken can be browned in one layer
• If you like, you could mix the rosemary with sage, this dish works amazingly with fresh herbs. So make only when you have some in the house

Crunchy noodle salad

"This is my all time favorite salad recipe, got from a friend in the US, couldnt stop eating it then and now also. The crunchy noodle topping and soy based dressing, adds a completely different dimension to a regular salad...  "

Servings = 500 gms salad - enough for 6 - 8 people, make entire dressing amount and use around half for 500 grams salad vegetables

Ingredients: 

 Dressing

• 3/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp soya sauce 

Salad - 1 kg in all as per taste

• cabbage 
• carrot
• broccoli
• red pepper
• green pepper

Topping

• 2 packets Ramen/Maggi noodles
• 75 gms almonds chopped/slivered
• 3 tbsp crushed peanuts
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp oil

Method: 

1. For the dressing, take a non reactive pan ( stainless steel, glass or enamel) and add the oil,sugar and vinegar in cold pan. Boil all together for 1 minute, tills sugar dissolves,take off heat and cool completely
2. Add soya sauce and whisk it till it comes together 
3. For the topping, in a frying pan take the butter and oil, add the smashed raw noodles, almonds, sesame and peanuts.Brown them together on a low flame till they are golden, dry and crunchy
4. Shred all the salad vegetables as thin as possible
5. Mix the salad and dressing ( add some initially and then keep adding and tasting for the perfect balance for you) 
6. Add most of the topping (leaving 1 tbsp for garnish), and 2 drops of chilly oil and sesame oil if available, mix well.
7. Garnish with the remaining topping and serve immediately

Note:

• Dressing and topping ingredients can be made before hand and refrigerated to be used later at food time
• Make dressing amount as specified , as it comes out best, and any leftovers can be refrigerated and used next time when you make it. Its so good that u will want lots of it :)