Omelet Extreme

On my recent trip to Dubai I stayed over with a dear friend & fellow foodie – Ms. Farah Mistry. Now having two hungry bawas pottering around one kitchen, is bound to give rise to some culinary inventions of note. So here is one of them… the OMELET EXTREME… a perfect amalgamation of all things good, soul-satisfying & Parsi-Approved. As it’s quite simple & easy to whip up, it can be quite a life saver on weekdays or those weekends when you have sudden guests over with practically nothing in the fridge. So here goes…

Ingredients:

• One can of tuna (pick whichever brand you use.. for those who do not prefer seafood, shredded meat or  veggies would do also)
• 3 eggs
• 1 small onion
• 150 grams cheese (we used regular parmesan)
• Black Olives
• Pinch of salt, pepper & dry chives to taste (you can also pick dill or thyme or oregano as your herb of choice)

Method:

Whisk the eggs all together till perfectly scrambled. Add salt & pepper to taste. Dice the onion as finely as possible. Open the can of tuna & add the oil to the pan & let it heat for a bit. Be careful as once heated the oil may pop. So keep the heat low. Add all the tuna & onions in & cook in the same oil for two minutes till onion softens. Add the scrambled egg in. Scatter the cheese on top & let it all meld together. Once the omelet is cooked it will come away from the sides. Top off with olives just before taking it off the stove.

Mommy’s Tip:  We enjoyed it with pita bread & labbneh (which is an Arabic version of cheesy sour cream), but feel free to play around with regular bread or rotis also.

Orange No-Bake Cheesecake

We’re starting off the holiday season here, with this easy fun family favourite. This is actually a summer-time cake with its light, fruity consistency combined with a sweet & sour citrusy  overlay reminding one of sun-soaked naps taken on holidays & days of summer holidays stretched out with endless fun. Of course being a no-bake version also helps as it is summer easy to make, as no one wants to spend time in the kitchen during summer holidays. This recipe is originally a lemon cheese cake recipe tweaked to orange as we find lemon too sour for our taste. But being as versatile as it is…feel free to experiment with either.

Ingredients:

(For the base)

• 10 digestive biscuits
• 75 gm melted butter
• 1tbsp honey

(For the filling)

• Mascarpone cheese 700 gm
• Juice & zest of 1 big orange
•  700 gm caster sugar
• 4 tbsp icing sugar  
• Fresh orange slices for garnish

Method:

Butter a round tin & place dish on it. Crush biscuits, add melted butter & honey. Stir well. Place this mixture in tin & level it out. Chill the base. Now mix cheese, orange juice, zest & caster sugar. Do not over mix. Spoon over base & chill for at least 2 hours.

Mommy's Tip: (Optional) For the sauce or glaze on top… blend fruits & icing sugar, pan through a sieve & garnish the top. Or you can also cut fresh fruit slices & garnish.

Apricot Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a baked French dessert of fruit, made traditionally with black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. The clafoutis is dusted with powdered sugar and served lukewarm, sometimes with cream. The clafoutis comes from the Limousin region of France, which is known for black cherries & while they are the norm, you can use numerous variations including red cherries, plums, prunes, apples, pears, cranberries or blackberries. The result is a light dessert perfect for children & adults alike as it’s not too sweet, has fruits and is completely wholesome in nature. We came across this deceptively easy dish during our time in France & were given the recipe by a very un-French sweet old lady who owned the café` where we ate it. And as usual, we’ve tweaked it a bit by substituting Glenlivet whiskey instead of rum.

Ingredients:

•  9 apricots cut in half 
• 1/3 cup flour 
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup cream
• Pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar for dusting

·         Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Place apricots in bottom of a pie dish, In a blender add flour, sugar, rum, vanilla, zest, salt, eggs & cream. Blend together to make a thin batter. Pour over apricots. Bake for 45 minutes at 180 degree C or until centre is set but still wobbly. Let it cool for a few minutes. Then dust with sugar.
     

Mommy’s Tip: If serving to children, leave out the rum / whiskey completely. However instead of rum we added Glenlivet whiskey & omitted the lemon zest. It is important that you don't over-bake..45 minutes or may be more depending on your oven temperature

Apple Cake 

This is a slightly different flavored cake from the usual chocolate, butter & sponge ones. But just as easy to make & the best thing is, while we have used apples because they are in season right now and taste YUM!; you can pick and choose any other fruit that you prefer also. Best thing about this cake, you can have it as an afternoon snack or sometimes even with your morning cuppa.. We guarantee if you are not a morning person, you’ll definitely become one after a bite of this...

Ingredients:

•  225 gm self raising flour
•  165 gm caster sugar 
• 125 gm softened butter 
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml milk
• 1 apple sliced
• 100gm bluberries
• 2 tbsp demerera sugar

      Method

Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Place flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs,& milk in a bowl & beat with electric mixer until just combined--spoon in a greased cake tin, top with apples & blackberries & sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Serve with
vanilla ice-cream if you choose…

Mommy’s Tip: Instead of blackberries I put dry apricots in cake mix & sprinkled cinnamon on apples before adding brown sugar result was just as Yummy

Chicken Liver Pate`

Some recipes are associated with childhood memories. This is one of them. I remember it would be the height of sophistication if we were allowed to have liver pate` on crackers along with prawn cocktail & my own set of spoon and fork…oh well! The spoon and fork may be long gone, but the unmistakable taste of a home-made pate` lingers on. We’ve given it a desi twist here by pairing it with roasted garlic khakhras (crispy wafer-thin) savory pancakes and it tasted uber yummy. Whatever your choice of partnership, rest assured with this easy version, you’ve got a winner on your hands and a ready-made choice for those last minute get-togethers at home.

Ingredients:

• ·         50 gm butter,
• ·         100 gm chicken liver,
• ·         2 tbsp brandy,
• ·         2 cloves garlic,
• ·         2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ·         2 onions

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the liver & cook on slow flame till it is cooked. You don't want crust on liver which would make the pate` grainy. Cool & put it in a food processor. Now add brandy, garlic & thyme in the same pan to deglaze as that is where all the juices are. Add mixture to liver & blend till smooth. Caramelize 2 onions in 20 gm butter, onions should be soft & rich brown in colour…cool…blend onions in liver mixture & leave to set in fridge for 3 hours. Enjoy with crackers, khakhras, melba toast (if you wanna be really fancy!) or make a bruchetta with olives on top

Mommy’s Tip: Add more garlic if you prefer it or  more brandy if you like it boozy

The Elvis Sandwich

Let’s be honest…as much as we all love the la-di-dah fine dining aspects of food, there are some instances when only claw-ripping, artery-clogging messy stuff will do. This is literally the KING of trashy comfort food….the Elvis Sandwich. You gotta hand it to the man, coming up with a sure-shot combination that would appeal across ages & generations for years to come, this sandwich sure occupies a spot on the Liberace` wall of gluttonous fame. So, without much ado, to paraphrase the King himself…”are you hungry tonight”?

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of white bread
• 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
• 1 small ripe banana mashed
• 2 tablespoons butter

Method:

Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the mashed banana on the other. Press the slices gently together. Melt the butter (or to be truly Elvis-like, melt bacon fat!), over low heat in a small frying pan. Place the sandwich in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Enjoy with a cold beverage of your choice.

Mommy’s Tip: Elvis tended to eat 12-15 sandwiches a sitting! So strap on some vintage tunes & belly up folks !!!

Salmon with Lemon & Dill

Sunday lunch at our house is an event to be looked forward to after an entire week of working lunches & dinners. After all there’s not much argument to be had against a long, leisurely lunch with a glass of chilled beer or wine, watching TV, chatting or even simply catching up on one’s reading. However Sunday is also one day everyone would like to take it easy..even in the kitchen. Thus, here is a family favorite recipe which is as simple as it is versatile. 

Ingredients:-

• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Place salmon in the baking dish. Mix the butter and lemon juice in a small bowl, and drizzle over the salmon. Season with dill, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

Mommy’s Tip:  Can be relished with stir-fried veggies or mashed potatoes or toasted bread with a dollop of cream cheese.