TREAT & TRICK

Sunday, May 12, 2013

HOT & SPICY CHICKEN MASALA

One of my family's favorite dish is this Hot & Spicy Chicken Masala. When I cooked a special rice, this was little spicy since I have used bird's eye chili in it but this is optional, you may omit if you can't stand the heat but trust me this tiny chili adds a special punch to the dish.

Looks complicated but actually it was easy to prepare. What you need is a blender/food processor to process the ingredients until smooth but I prefer to use my pestle and mortar to do the job.

Make sure to remove the skin and trim the excess fat from the chicken. If possible, blend the spices without water since the juice from tomato will aid the process. Hope you'll enjoy this Hot & Spicy Chicken Masala as much as we do!

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BANANA OAT CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE

Banana Oat Chocolate Smoothies is fabulous when you want something sweet and chocolaty but very healthy too. A homemade smoothies is a great breakfast or as afternoon snack. It is full of vitamins and nutrients.

They are fast and easy to prepare. Smoothies are endlessly versatile and much cheaper than store bought, letting you use whatever fruit is in season or on offer.

I had used banana, oat and chocolate milk this time but if you're ellergic to milk, substitute it with fruit juice or non dairy milk.

Try this filling and guilt free treat to start the day!

BACK OF THE BAG OATMEAL ROLLS

I'm so inspired to bake my own bread after seeing those fluffy and wonderful bread on the net.

You know, how much I love rolled oat in baking. So decided to give these Back of the Bag Oatmeal Rolls a try. The dough is enough to make 16 moist, nutty flavored rolls or one delicious loaf of bread.

The honey in the dough adds a nice richness but you don;t actually taste it. As you can see, they turned out awesome. My boy gobbled 3 of Back of the Bag Oatmeal Rolls as soon as they were out of the oven.

STIR FRIED CABBAGE

A meal isn't complete without a side dish especially vegetable. My family prefer a simple and non spicy version of vegetable.

Here is a quick delicious recipe that you could serve with rice or as a stuffing for flat bread. This is a basic stir fry but feel free to substitute with other veggies or add shredded chicken or meat if desired.

If you have delicate palate, this is a perfect choice and isn't spicy. I like my veggies with some crunch but if you prefer a softer one, cook it a bit longer.

BANANA CRUMB CAKE

Baked this Egg Free Banana Crumb Cake for brunch or as a dessert. I had some overly ripe bananas sitting on my kitchen counter.

This recipe is a perfect way to clear those bananas. It isn't a fancy cake but a moist and crumbly cake, full of flavor. This Banana Crumb Cake was lighter than a typical banana cake. What makes this cake so special was the addition of luscious crumb topping.

This cake was perfect for a small gathering, it was easily completed in one sitting!

BLACK BREAD ROLLS

I bake this lighter and flavorful Black Bread Rolls made with unsweetened cocoa, honey and instant coffee

This Black Bread Rolls gets its color from cocoa and coffee. While it was a straight forward method but it takes a longer time to rise, mine took 2 hours to double in size. Anyway it worth to wait since this produces a remarkably pleasing roll.

Instead of having a regular loaf, I turned it into sliced rolls after brushing some butter over the dough then sprinkle sugar over the butter. It was rolled into a log then slice equally about an inch thick.

MY TIPS

Use your bread machine, it will be super easy. just put everything in the BM to prepare the dough.

Add more sugar since this recipe did not turn out very sweet, incorporate additional sugar for a bit extra sweetness

You can use other filling too, cream cheese, coconut, chopped nut are great alternatives.

BLACK BREAD ROLLS
Yield : 10 rolls

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp instant coffee
1/2 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp instant yeast
2 tablespoon melted butter
1 medium banana mashed
less than 1/2 cup warm water
2-3 tablespoon softened butter to brush over dough
2-3 tablespoon white/brown sugar to sprinkle

METHOD

Place flour, instant coffee, cocoa and instant yeast in a mixing bowl.

In another bowl, combine melted butter, banana, salt, honey and warm water.

Add in honey mixture to the dry ingredients.

Mix well and forms into soft dough. Knead on floured board until elastic and smooth.

Transfer into greased and covered bowl, let rise until double for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Punch dough down, roll out dough into rectangle about 10 x 12 in.

Brush 2-3 tablespoon of softened butter over the top of the dough. Sprinkle sugar over the butter on the prepared dough.

Starting with long edge, roll up dough, pinch seams to seal. Using sharp knife, equally cut into 1 in thick slice.

Place cut side up in a prepared pan, flattening them slightly. Let sit for 45 minutes, towards the end of rising time, heat the oven @ 190 C.

Bake for 15 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.

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Sunday, March 31, 2013

KOFTA (MEATBALL) CURRY

These spicy meatballs are served in a mildly hot gravy, seasoned with onion, ginger, garlic and some spices. These koftas are fried before cooking. If you're health conscious, avoid frying, you can simply drop the meatballs in the gravy and let them simmered until it was cooked through or another option was to bake them..

It can be made from ground beef, lamb or chicken. The corn flour acts as a binding agent so you will get a smooth and beautifully shaped balls.

This low fat version of kofta curry without coconut milk, yogurt or cream had just the right amount of heat and spice.

BAKED YEAST DOUGHNUTS

I really love baking doughnuts because I can easily avoid some calories and fat. This is a great make ahead recipe. You can get the dough mixed up the night before and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator.

The Baked Yeast Doughnuts make from ingredients you probably already have. Using yeast dough these little treat involve no deep frying but still taste delicious.

Make them more exciting and fun with variable glazes/toppings, such as chocolate, nuts and sprinkles, vanilla, caramel or maple. They are such a delight for the whole family!

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CHANA (GARBANZO) MASALA

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) add lots of flavor and protein to all kind of dishes. These are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. Chickpeas are common ingredient in soups, salads and stews.

Here is a recipe for delicious chickpeas simmered in fragrantly spiced and slightly tangy gravy. It can be easily adjusted to suit your palate.

Readily available in a can but I had used the dried garbanzo beans that require soaking overnight. They are then rinsed and boiled until soft before you can proceed in making any dishes.

Chana (Garbanzo) Masala always make a popular side dish and a regular on our table.

MINI APPLE LATTICE CROSTATA

This free form pie is simply the easiest you'll ever make. It consists of a buttery pastry and filling.

I have made my pastry completely by hand but you can also obtain a good result using a food processor.

The filling was even easier - no cooking required, just combine the sliced apples with sugar, lemon juice and all purpose flour. Keep the sliced apples separately, it will produce more juice if kept longer. When you have rolled out the pastry, combine the apple (without the juice) with the rest of the ingredients except the butter and mound them on your pastry. This will often take care of the problem of soggy base.

I have given my crostata a makeover by topping the apple mixture with pastry strips rather than weaving a traditional lattice but it can be done without it.

DRY FRUIT NAAN

This flat bread needs no introduction. It was a popular bread served in an Indian restaurant. Normally made using clay oven or tandoor but it can easily prepared in your kitchen by baking them in a oven or on stove top.

Naan was a regular fare in our home since my son was a great fan of this naan stuffed with dry fruit. Am using ready made mixture of sultanas, glaced cherries and mixed peel as its stuffing.

I had successfully pan fried these naan without oil and it doesn't stick to my cast iron pan at all. To get a perfect result, make sure the pan was fully heated before placing the naan and cook them using medium heat.

Naan Recipe @ http://treatntrick.blogspot.com

BINGKA PISANG

There are over riped bananas laying on my kitchen counter so I'd decided to bake the traditional cake with them. Banana is a versatile fruit, either eat them on their own, add them in smoothies, cake, pudding, bread, ice cream or even cereal.

This traditional cake was made with mashed banana. If possible, use fully ripe banana, it is much sweeter and you only need to add lesser amount of sugar in your cake..

Most of traditional recipe does not require any baking powder nor mixer, just simple mix and bake method but the end result was far better and healthier.

BINGKA PISANG
Yield : 8 in loaf

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon cornflour
1 1/4 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon oil

DIRECTION

Preheat oven @ 180 C and grease 8 in cake pan.

Place flour, cornflour and salt in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, oil and mashed banana.

Now add wet ingredients into flour mixture, stir until well combined

Pour mixture onto prepared pan, bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan 20 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.

When completely cool, slice to serve.

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

SEMOLINA AND OATMEAL PANCAKE

Semolina and Oatneal Pancake Recipe @ treatntrick.blogspot.com

When your everyday oatmeal breakfast becomes boring, mix it up with these pancake! You'll certainly love this savory pancake, packed with the nutrition of a bowl of oat and semolina

Made with semolina and rolled oat, flavored with chopped onion, cilantro and sliced green/red chili, these pancake are easy to make, scrumptious to eat and a little healthier twist to a standard breakfast recipe.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

A sweet and buttery cookies, each of these indented cookies contains a special jammy center - strawberry. orange, raspberry or whatever flavor you desire. Normally it was rolled into a ball then flatten but now I had used a cookies cutter to do the job, simply filled the center with preserves/jam.

Serve these colorful bites with piping hot cup of tea or a glass of milk.

These colorful cookies are also great for serving at holiday party or for sharing at a cookie exchange.

SOFT BUTTER ROLLS

Yeast Rolls Recipe @ http://treatntrick.blogspot.com

This roll is light and fluffy tasted so good warm from the oven with butter spread on top.

It's just a basic rolls but you can create a lot more from it. The dough can also be shaped in many other ways, so use your imagination . These make awesome cinnamon rolls, crescent rolls, filled buns or stuffed bread too.

This is my all time favorite rolls. These Soft Butter Rolls make a perfect soft roll always!

HEALTHY FOOTBALL PARTY RECIPES

Having a super bowl party or get together this weekend? I have lined up for you a healthier and non complicated collection for you to serve your guest and free you from tying up in the kitchen all day and away from your guest..

These recipes are great to make ahead of time and don't take a lot of effort or expense. So try a few of these tasty snacks and party on! Click each title for full recipe.

1. SOUR CREAM PIZZA