With Spring less than a week away, and winter storms occurring less frequently, the flowers outside our windows are finally beginning to bloom! In spite of the up and coming April showers, we can have a bouquet of flowers year-around.

Palachinka’s Marija, the blogger who’s truly mastered the art of creating beautiful desserts, has a treat in store for us today. Her fondant flower tutorial is perfect for beginners who are looking forward to making fun seasonal baked goods that will certainly impress.

With these instructive photos, even cooks who swear they don’t ‘do desserts’ will find themselves baking up a batch of cupcakes so they can decorate them with Marija’s lovely fondant flowers.

Cut a piece of white fondant like on the left and fold it around the pistil.

Make desired number of flowers and then start making stems, one at a time. You will need 2 pieces of green fondant like on the right for that.

Wrap smaller part around the bottom of the flower and place the longer part over it. Press it with your finger and start rolling it back and forth, gently, until it comes together.

Make a bow, and that’s it. After it dries, the bouquet will become very fragile. Move it VERY carefuly!

Normally when we think of macaroni and cheese, we picture a dish that’s already perfect in its own right. It’s creamy and comforting, and we each have our personal favorite ways of eating it: with the extra cheese, baked or prepared on the stove top, with a spoon or fork :)… but how about with sea food?

Joan from Food Haven for the Obasan’s came up with a dish called Baked Amorini Pasta that reminds me of macaroni and cheese with a makeover that includes a summer dress and sun hat :). It’s what I’d want to take on a picnic at the beach! The mozzarella cheese and olive oil might fool your taste buds into thinking you’re eating an Italian dish, but the crab and shrimp offer a light seafood freshness that balances out the dish’s flavors.

Joan’s Baked Amorini Pasta has it all: a unique combination of ingredients, just the right amount of cheesiness, and even a healthy assortment of vegetables. I’d say this is the kind of meal to prepare when you want to introduce the kiddos to sea food, but it’s also a dish that grown-ups everywhere will love.

Chicken is my go-to protein when it comes to making hearty sandwiches, especially for picnics. It’s such a versatile food and can be seasoned in so many ways. Grill then serve it with avocados and salsa wrapped in a tortilla, bake it with your favorite toppings…or even make a salad with it, there are many options. I’ve also found that buying a whole chicken, instead of just a breast or a few legs, is a lot more affordable — you’d be surprised how much you can make with that one chicken… but sometimes, even I run out of ideas.

This is why I’m a fan of chicken salad sandwiches. I grew up enjoying chicken salad with sliced apples and raisins, served with cheese biscuits that my mom made from scratch. Though it’s still a tasty comfort food of mine, I do like change. Farida’s Chicken Salad with Bell Peppers is a savory and fresh salad. Made with a sour cream/light mayo dressing, it’s creamy — but it still has quite a bit of crunch, thanks to the cucumber and peppers.

The best part about this salad? On her blog Farida’s Azerbaijani Cookbook, she mentions that her entire family enjoyed it. Serving a salad that everyone loves isn’t always easy, especially when there are so many different dressings to choose from these days! But you don’t have to worry about that here; even if you have an empty spice rack, you can rest assured that, aside from Farida’s dressing, salt and pepper are all you’ll need to make this salad a delicious one.

Puran Boli, also known as Puran Poli, is a South Indian sweet bread that’s aromatic and flavorful. The filling, or puran, provides the most flavor. Madhumathi from Madhu’s Food Journal makes her puran with chana dal. Chana dal is a dark-seeded chickpea without the skin. You might be surprised to find chickpeas in the filling of a dessert, but they are soaked and cooked so that they become soft; they are later combined with sweet ingredients.

Madhumathi puran is a paste that consists of ground chickpeas, coconut and jaggery, or brown sugar. Unlike baked desserts, Puran Boli is cooked on a griddle, where it is lightly fried with gingely oil on both sides until its exterior becomes golden brown.

You might’ve grown up with your mom telling you to not touch the cake until it cooled, but you can go ahead and enjoy the Puran Boli while it is still warm. In fact, Madhumathi says it’s the most tasty that way! Just don’t forget to sprinkle on a bit of ghee to make it extra mouthwatering!

Grilled cheese’s aren’t the only gooey warm sandwiches you can enjoy on a cold day with your favorite cup of soup. Cheese has it’s place in a sandwich, but it doesn’t always have to take center-stage ;), especially when ingredients like turkey and BACON are also in that sandwich.

Simply Yummy Goodness isn’t just the name of Katy’s blog, it’s also what you’ll say when you take a bite of her mom’s Turkey Devonshire Sandwich. After enjoying the sandwich while on vacation at an Inn about 20 years ago, Katy’s mom decided to recreate it at home. If they’ve been making it for 20 years, there’s no denying it’s worth trying at least once :).

Katy’s family loves to eat this around the holidays, she says it’s their tradition to enjoy a Turkey Devonshire dinner after Christmas tree shopping. You can count on turkey, bacon, tomatoes and melted cheese to warm you up after a cold day spent outdoors. Meals like this make me wish Christmas was every day! But Katy’s recipe is also great for busy working families. Just stick a turkey breast (or even chicken) in the slow cooker and, at the end of the day, you can prepare this tasty open-faced sandwich in minutes.

If you’re in the mood for a savory pancake, something to accompany a side of veggies or a tasty curry, then you’ve come to the right place. This week’s Tutorial Tuesday guest is Malini from Khana Khazana with Malini. She’s shared her Chillah tutorial with us; she made it in honor of pancake day in late February! Malini adds that you can make this with any vegetable, though she uses bell peppers and onions in her recipe. Let’s see what else she has to say!

Today I am writing about Chillah, an adaptive version of soru-chakli (Bengali pancake, supposed to be made by wheat batter) made by mother and enhanced to be a wholesome recipe which can be eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The most important and unique thing in this recipe is that you can mix and match the ingredients and add vegetables of your choice (like grated carrots, cauliflower etc.).

So every time you come up with a new dish to impress the family members / guests.

Ingredients:

(I am not mentioning the exact weight as this is as per requirement but the flour, wheat and gram flour (besan) should be of equal quantity each).

2 cups flour

2 cups wheat

2 cups gram flour (besan)

1/ 2 tsp baking powder (optional)

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped

1 large capsicum, finely chopped

2 bunch cilantro / coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1- ½ tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

A pinch of red chili powder (optional, if you like it hot)

White Oil, for frying

Water (as per requirement)

Preparation:

Sift together flour, wheat, besan and baking powder. Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder, and salt and mix well.

Slowly add water and blend to form a smooth batter or until you get the right consistency.

Add the chopped onions, capsicum and coriander leaves in the batter and mix well.

Take a non-stick frying pan and heat 2-3 drops of white oil. Spread & coat all over the base with a wooden spatula including the side of the pan.

When the oil is hot, reduce heat and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle.

Spread the batter in a circular motion by tilting the pan or by spreading with the back of a wooden spatula to form the chillah (You have to do this quick before the mix sets, a few attempts and will have a perfect chillah).

Let it set (you will know when the bottom is set by seeing the colour change).

Flip the chillah to the other side. Add a little oil and toast till done.

Serve:


Serve hot with sukha bhaji (a dish of mashed boiled potatoes fried in a little oil with mustard seeds, chopped chillies & sliced onions and garnished with coriander leaves)

Enjoy!!!

Tips:

1.
Ensure that there are no lumps while making the batter, you can strain through a strainer to get a smooth batter.
2.
Check the consistency with a spoon full of batter. If it’s pouring very easily, you have to add little flour and if it’s taking time to pour, add a little water.
3.
A perfect batter with the right consistency should easily spread in the frying by tilting the pan around.
4.
Always add the chopped ingredients after the batter is ready otherwise it will be difficult to mix, lumps may remain and you may not get that right consistency.

What kind of birthday gift do you get for the friend who puts you up to a pretty big challenge? Like telling you to take a gelato recipe and turn it into another kind of dessert, something made with crushed cookies and a chocolate drizzle! No, we’re not talking about a homemade cone served up with two scoops of ice cream… we’re talking about a homemade Ginger Ice Cream Pie.

It’s the ultimate birthday present for that friend who also happens to be a pie aficionado. Charmian’s Ginger Ice Cream Pie has everything you’d expect to find in an ice cream dessert, and more. Fresh ginger and crystallized ginger both show up in the homemade ice cream that sits on top of a spicy brown sugar ginger cookie crust. And ice cream isn’t complete without a drizzle of chocolate syrup, or a semi-sweet chocolate drizzle in Charmian’s case.

There are ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cakes, but the first ice cream pie we came across was on Charmian’s blog, Christie’s Corner. If you want to see a few more photos of a pie you’ll actually want to eat right out of the freezer, be sure to drop by and say hello to Charmian. If there’s a dessert out there you’d like to see transformed into some sort of pie, she’s the one to contact :)!

Fast and affordable are two words that are always music to my ears, especially where food is involved! But I’m not talking about the stuff with freezer burn; I’m talking about the good stuff your entire family will love because it’s homemade. What about time? If you have about an hour, or even a little less to spare, then you’re set!

We invited Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen to be this week’s Tips and Tricks Friday special guest! You might know her as the talented blogger who never fails to dish up delicious looking food, but did you know she also has quite a few tips to pass along? She’ll tell us how to use up the leftovers and even how to make our own fast food at home, and we’re not just talking about burgers. For instance, take a look at her Mexican Baked Penne! I guarantee your kiddos will lick their plates clean if you serve that up for dinner tonight!

I’ll be the first to admit that my kids don’t always eat what I cook them. It’s a constant guessing game what they are going to like, but it really doesn’t stop me from trying. They are still young and are developing their tastes so I am really trying to introduce as many new and different foods to them as I can. It’s a work in progress. And if your house is like mine the hour before dinnertime, then I know it’s a challenge to find a lot of time to prepare and put a healthy meal on the table for your family.
I am surviving the balancing act (barely and not always!), and trying to keep things fast and affordable, with these few things always in mind…

Keep a stocked pantry, freezer and spice rack.
As much as I love cooking with fresh ingredients, you have to have a few shortcuts up your sleeve when dealing with a busy household. Keeping your pantry and freezer stocked really helps you on those days where you don’t have time to shop for a certain missing ingredient, or are lacking in ideas for dinner. Some of my favorite meals have come right from the pantry using simple ingredients such as pasta, beans, onions and canned tomatoes. And it really is worth it to stock up your freezer with items such as chicken or lean ground beef or turkey when they go on sale. So many meals can be made just by throwing a few of these items together to make a fast and affordable dinner. You can always alter flavors based on your family’s tastes by experimenting with different dried seasonings and spices.

One family favorite is Mexican Baked Penne. Most everything in this baked pasta dish comes from your pantry and freezer, with the exception of the shredded cheese and bell pepper. Pasta, salsa, ground beef, onions, and black beans are inexpensive staples that I usually have on hand and use often. A meal like Mexican Baked Penne can even be prepared ahead of time and be ready for you to throw in the oven at dinnertime.

Here are a few items that I recommend you have your pantry, freezer and spice rack stocked up with:
Pantry items
assorted canned beans (black, garbanzo, cannellini)
assorted canned tomatoes (crushed, sauce, diced)
bread crumbs (plain, seasoned, panko)
canned artichokes and mushrooms
jarred olives and capers
chicken stock (low sodium)
salsa
assorted pasta shapes
rice and other quick cooking grains such as couscous and barley
onions
garlic
assorted freezer bag sizes for storing leftovers in freezer

Freezer:
lean ground beef and turkey
skinless chicken breasts
boneless, skinless chicken thighs
frozen seafood such as tilapia, salmon and shrimp
assorted frozen vegetables

Spices:
Italian blend
assorted dried herbs such as cilantro, oregano, parsley and basil]
garlic powder
chili powder
cumin
cinnamon
grill seasonings

Recreate your favorite restaurant meals.
A lot of the meals I make are usually inspired by something I ate out at a restaurant. Pizza is probably the easiest and first to come to mind. I’m sure most households, especially ones with kids, hold pizza as a going out to eat favorite like we do. We have become regulars at a local pizzeria over the years but have found that sometimes it’s just easier and more affordable to eat at home. Most grocery stores now carry fresh pizza dough in their bakery and making pizza at home cannot be any easier because of it. Using your pantry items such as canned tomato sauce and spices such as oregano and basil, you can put together a fantastic homemade pizza with everyone’s favorite toppings! My favorite homemade pizza is sausage and peppers… while the rest of my family loves pepperoni.

Favorite restaurant meals such as fajitas…

or buffalo style chicken… come together easily and a lot more affordably when coming from your own kitchen!

Use your leftovers.
You can really be amazed at what you can come up with when playing the “use it up” game in your kitchen. Leftovers can be very boring, so sometimes you really have to think out of the box and get creative. Leftover chicken or beef can transform itself into a completely different meal in itself when accompanied by different ingredients. I’m not always organized to have my leftovers “planned” (like I did with this Slow Cooker Pot Roast), but I do try to use up all my leftovers either in a new meal or packed up in the freezer for another day. I can’t tell you how many nights I am so thankful to have a ziplock bag of already cooked ground beef in the freezer that I can throw into a batch of enchiladas or a pot of soup. One great way to use up your leftovers is to make a “fried rice” or “fried pasta” with any leftover grains and meats that you may have along with vegetables that are in your fridge.

With a little extra planning and creativity, and keeping a few tricks up your sleeve, you will be well on your way to feeding your family fast, delicious and healthy meals…without breaking the bank!

- Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen

When the cat’s away, the mice will play…or bake up a fabulous batch of addicting brownies, of course :)! Chef Dennis of Beyond the Kitchen Wall invented a brownie recipe when he had the kitchen all to himself one afternoon. His Chestnut and Armagnac Brownies are a bit different from the ones you might find in grandma’s kitchen. Though the recipe includes some familiar ingredients, like chocolate, butter and flour, you’ll find there’s plenty more to sink your teeth into than just rich chocolatey goodness.

Chef Dennis says that chestnuts are quite the underrated nut. We sing about them, we like roasting them on an open fire around the holidays… but we just don’t bake enough with them. Dennis shows us how to use chestnuts in one of the tastiest ways possible, in a dessert. Not just any dessert, but in what he refers to as sophisticated brownies. He says that their amazing flavor will transport you to French Southwest. A top-notch brownie it is, with ingredients like tahitian vanilla and armagnac, also known as brandy with a French accent :).

Warm and gooey, these are heavenly when served fresh, right out of the oven… or, take Chef Dennis’ suggestion: let them cool for just a little bit then serve them with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, for a sundae you can enjoy on any day of the week :).

Dan from Freshly Ground was right when he said that cooking with risotto requires plenty of patience and time. Unlike with rice, you can’t just measure out one cup of rice for every cup of water and then forget about it. Rice practically makes itself, but risotto requires a skillful hand and plenty of mixing. Though there are about three different types of rice commonly used to make risotto, you’re probably the most familiar with arborio.

Risotto is a creamy and delicious rice dish, especially Dan’s Pumpkin and Ham Risotto, though he has plenty more risotto recipes on his blog. He claims this is one of his best, and I won’t argue with the cook! Dan even used a fresh pumpkin! One tip that Dan shares is waiting to chop everything until you actually start cooking the rice. I agree, it’ll keep you entertained while you’re waiting for the rice to cook; just remember to chop and stir!

So what gives Dan’s risotto its creamy texture? The added freshly grated parmesan cheese and heavy cream do the trick. To bring out the savoriness, he adds a bit of garlic and vinegar. The risotto goes from being a simple side to a filling main dish when Dan adds the ham and chopped tomatoes. You’ll find nearly every food group in Dan’s risotto!