Baked Qatayef!!!

Qatayef is a middle eastern dessert. These are yeasted pancakes stuffed with nuts or cheese filling then doused in a thick sugar syrup. They can be soft or crunchy, open or closed, sweet or savory a snack with lots and lots of options. The center can be filled not only with cheese or nuts but also with nutella. This qatayefs are ridiculously crunchy,  bursting with sticky, syrupy sweetness with every bite.

 I tasted these delicacies from a friend who is from Palestine. During Ramadan, she gave some of these uncooked qatayefs for iftar along with a bowl of sugar syrup and told me the method of either deep frying or baking then to dip them in sugar syrup and enjoy for iftar. I baked some and some I deep fried for the kids. They were so crispy and crunchy. We liked it a lot. My kids were finishing them quickly, It was so delicious. My friend told me that this is made during Ramadan times and this is one of the delicious desserts which will be loved by all and so it is.. Please try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:
For the Sugar Syrup:

1. Sugar- 1 cups
2. water 1 cup
3. Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. In a medium pan combine together the sugar, water and squeeze of lemon juice. Set it on high heat.
2. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce the flame to medium. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. The syrup will thicken slightly.
3. Switch off the flame and keep this aside to cool.

For the Pancakes:

1. All Purpose Flour- 2 Cups
2. Sugar- 1 tbsp
3. Milk- 2 tbsp
4. Baking soda- 1tsp
5. Yeast- 1 tbsp
6. Water- 3 Cups

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the pancake using a hand mixer till everything gets mixed well and forms a loose, pourable batter.
2. Leave the batter for 10- 20 minutes to bubble up.
3. Heat a non stick griddle, using a small ladle or an ice cream scoop drop about 2 tbsp of the batter over the skillet. the pancake should be about 3 inches in diameter.
4. Allow to cook the pancakes slowly without flipping (you can see many bubbles forming) and when they are cooked keep it aside and continue with the remaining batter till all the batter gets over and keep the pancakes separate without sticking to each other and cover them with a damp towel while making the rest of the pancakes. Let them cool completely before filling.

For the Filling:

1. Ricotta Cheese- 1 Cup
2. Granulated Sugar- 2 tbsp
3. Coarse ground Pistachios- 1/2 Cup

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and keep it aside.

For assembling:

1. Take the pancakes with the bubbly side up fill with the cheese and nut filling and close the pancake into half without tearing. Squeeze and pinch the outer edge tightly using your fingers to seal.
2. You can either freeze them for about a month for later use or heat a skillet with oil and deep fry them to golden brown and crisp.
3. Here I have deep fried half of them in oil and the other half I baked till done.
4. Dip these hot fried/ baked qatayef into the prepared sugar syrup and enjoy a crispy crunchy snack.

Stuffed Mushrooms

This delicious, tasty appetizer makes an ultimate party treat. Juicy mushrooms are stuffed with the onion-olive mixture, topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and baked till soft. These are perfect bite-sized appetizers and will be loved by all. This is an easy and elegant snack that can be assembled ahead of time. These are definitely a crowd puller.
When I was talking to my SIL, she said, for iftar, she made these stuffed mushrooms. I have heard about them before but never tried making them at home. I got curious and asked my SIL for the recipe, then I came to know that it's a very easy, simple snack which can be prepared within no time. For the filling she added chicken pieces, I made it veg and my kids loved it. It was our iftar snack which was made within minutes.

Mushrooms with stuffing...

Added Cheese and ready to get baked

In these stuffed mushrooms, the filling can be made with anything or any variety of your choice. We can even make sausage, meat, chicken, paneer filling. The mushrooms, which are perfect for this recipe are the white mushrooms or the cremini mushrooms. Just make sure that while choosing the mushrooms, make sure that they all are of the same size, for even cooking.
As I was having some extra filling, I stuffed it inside capsicum, which was an experiment and was very delicious.

These are so easy to make, just snap off the stem, stuff with the choice of filling, sprinkle with the cheese and bake till golden perfection and TADA!!!!!! The perfect, delicious, silky, smooth appetizer is ready within minutes. You can even fill the mushrooms and freeze it. For the surprise guests or for hungry kids, just take it out of the freezer and bake for an extra 5 minutes. Hope you all will like this and try it out quickly.

Ingredients:

1. Mushrooms- 8 nos
2. Olives- 5- 6 nos (chopped)
3. Onions- 1/4 cup (chopped)
4. Salt- a dash (as olives contain salt)
5. Cayenne Pepper Powder- 1 Tsp
6. Pepper Powder- 1 Tsp
7. Oregano- 1 tbsp
8. Parmesan Cheese- 5- 6 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and drain the mushroom, remove the stem from all the mushrooms, leaving the cap whole.
2. Chop the stems finely. Heat oil in a pan and saute the chopped stems along with chopped onions and olives till the onion turns translucent.
3. Add the salt, cayenne pepper and oregano, saute well. Fill the mushroom caps with this mixture and then sprinkle each stuffed mushroom cap with a small amount of Parmesan cheese.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the mushrooms on a baking tray and bake them for about 15- 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy warm.

Pizza Pinwheels

Soft, homemade dough with delicious toppings and melted cheese makes pizza a super tasty meal. Everyone from kids to adults will like this to the core as these pizza pinwheels are small, bite sized, appetizing pieces and will be vanished within seconds.

I usually make veggie or chicken pizza every alternate weekend for my daughter who is a big fan of Italian dishes like the pasta or pizza. Instead of buying from shops, I make them at home using homemade sauce or store bought as time permits. These Pizza pinwheels I made them for the first time when I saw these small cuties on a cookery show on some channel. I thought, next time instead of making a pizza, will try out making these pinwheels by rolling the pizza dough. I am thrilled with how well they turned out. These can be stored in the freezer without baking and when needed, thaw them and bake as required. Pizza Pinwheels are a super easy snack which can be served to kids as an after school snack or to guests.

More than 10 varieties of sauces are available. So you can experiment with any sauce of your choice. You can add your own choice of toppings and can make them in big or small sizes. If kids are involved in the making, they will enjoy thoroughly. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

For Pizza Dough:

1. All Purpose Flour- 2 Cups
2. Yeast- 1 tbsp
3. Sugar- 1 tbsp
4. Salt- as required
5. Warm water- ¾ Cup/ required enough to knead the dough
6. Olive Oil- 2 tbsp

Pizza Sauce

For Toppings:

1. Capsicum- 2 nos
2. Onions- 1 no
3. Chicken Sausage- 7- 8 nos
4. Mozzarella Cheese- 1 Cup

Method:

1. Combine warm water and yeast and let it sit for some time until the yeast bubbles up.
2. Add in oil, salt, and sugar. Mix the flour using the above-made yeast mixture slowly until it becomes a sticky dough.
3. Continue mixing for another 5- 6 minutes and cover with a cling wrap and let it sit for 15- 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Chop the onions, capsicum and cut the sausage into small round discs.
5. Flour the countertop and roll the dough into a large rectangle.
6. Top it with the homemade pasta sauce and spread to all the corners. Spread the chopped onions, capsicum and sausage on top and cover with mozzarella cheese.
7. Starting with one of the long sides of the rectangle, roll the dough tightly, pinching the seams to close at the end. Slice into 1” sections using a sharp knife.
8. Place the pin wheels on a baking tray and bake for about 12- 15 minutes.Serve hot along with marinara or ketchup.

Chicken Enchiladas

Enchilada is a corn tortilla, filled with a stuffing of meat or vegetables and covered with chili sauce and cheese. These enchiladas can be stuffed with meat, cheese or vegetables.

I heard a lot about these enchiladas. Once when I was googling something, I stumbled upon these enchiladas which I thought will make a perfect dinner. Kids are definitely going to love this as this dish contains loads of cheese. For the calorie conscious persons (like my husband), this can be made without adding any cheese and bake it as we make the normal enchiladas. Then too this tastes good.

In most of the recipes, they were adding enchilada red sauce or green sauce. We get it ready-made in stores, but I made the sauce at home and we can store the remaining sauce if any left in the refrigerator. You can make the tortillas at home, as I had leftover tortillas, I thought of finishing it off.

These enchiladas have turned out perfect. The whole process of preparing looks prolonged, but if everything is kept ready then it is so easy. Make the sauce before and store. Just try this out and you will definitely love it.

Ingredients:

For the Enchiladas:

1. Corn Tortillas- 12 nos
2. Boneless Chicken- 250 gms
3. Oil- 1 tbsp
4. Onions (chopped)- 2 nos
5. Red Bell Peppers (chopped)- 1 no
6. Salt- as required
7. Pepper- 1 tsp
8. Mozzarella Cheese- 1 Cup
9. Parmesan Cheese- 1 Cup

Method:

1. Sprinkle boneless chicken with the required amount of salt and pepper and cook till soft and tender. Remove the chicken pieces to a platter and shred the cooked chicken by hand into small pieces. Keep this aside.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan and stir fry the chopped onions till light brown in color. Add the chopped bell peppers along with onions and saute for about a minute.
3. Add the shredded chicken pieces and saute well. Remove this aside.
4. For assembling the enchiladas:
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Cook all the tortillas for about a minute in a skillet. This will soften the tortillas.
7. Grease the pan in which enchiladas are baked, using oil.
8. On each tortilla, spread 2 tablespoons of prepared enchilada sauce and place a tbsp of chicken mixture in the middle of the tortillas and sprinkle some parmesan cheese.
9. Roll the tortilla with the filling and arrange this in the greased pan with the seam side down.
10. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and arrange them in the pan. Cover it with the remaining enchilada sauce and at last top with mozzarella cheese.
11. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve this warm and enjoy.

For the Enchilada sauce:

1. Tomatoes (chopped)- 2 Cups
2. Water- ½ Cup
3. All Purpose Flour- 3 tbsps
4. Red Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
5. Cumin Powder- 1 tsp
6. Oil- 2 tbsp
7. Oregano- 1 tbsp
8. Salt- as required
9. Pepper- 1 tsp
10. In Powder- 1 tsp
11. Sugar- a pinch
12. Garlic Powder- 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add all the ingredients except tomatoes in hot oil and stir well.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes along with water and let this boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Puree the sauce using a blender and when cool store it in an air tight bottle in the refrigerator. Use as needed.

Bubbling Hot Enchilada Sauce

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Once in a while we can have a bowl of warm,cheesy, creamy, goodness. My daughter is a big fan of mac and cheese. Whenever we go out to restaurants, she will have her favorite pasta. I thought if she loves it a lot, then why not try make it at home and here it is. A simple but a creamy rich dish.

You can vary the pasta, by adding boiled veggies, corn, prawns, chicken or anything of your choice. But I made it plain as this is the classical mac and cheese recipe. The addition of ground mustard will give an additional kick to the dish.

Kids will love this amazing cheesy flavorful pasta. Whatever the occasion is, this mac n cheese will always spell comfort.

Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator and can be had anytime by reheating in the oven. If you feel the mac n cheese is dry just add some more milk and heat it on stove top.

If you have an extra time, just bake the mac n cheese in a preheated oven by covering it with a lid or a foil in a casserole dish at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle bread crumbs and few drops of butter on top and bake for about 10 minutes till the top is golden brown.

Ingredients:

1. Elbow Pasta- 2- 3 cups
2. Butter- 2 tbsp
3. Milk- 2 Cups
4. Flour- 2 tbsp
5. Cheddar Cheese- ½ Cups
6. Parmesan cheese- ¼ cup
7. Italian Herbs- 1 tbsp
8. Mustard Powder- ¼ tsp
9. Chilli flakes- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil the pasta with required amount of water, salt and little oil and when it gets cooked drain and keep it aside.
2. Heat butter in a pan, add flour on low heat. Whisk thoroughly till the flour gets cooked. Add milk and whisk until there are no lumps.
3. Heat for about 5- 10 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and parmesan. Stir well till the cheese gets melted and the sauce becomes creamy.
4. In the above made cheese sauce add the cooked pasta and mix to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce.
5. In this add the mustard powder,italian herbs and chilli flakes, mix and enjoy hot and creamy mac and cheese.

Homemade Chicken Sausage Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza and that too if it is homemade, then everybody in the house will have more slices without thinking about the calories. I never thought that I would be preparing pizza from scratch. But once I tried making at home, we will never have  one from outside.

Assembling the pizza

We can have our desired toppings. We can make the sauce before hand and refrigerate and we can use when making pizza or pasta.

Ready to get baked....

The process of making pizza looks big and tiring, but once started it will be easy and simple. You can use your own assorted veggies. I made the pizza base using maida, we can also make this using wheat flour, but it will be little dense. We can also use dried or fresh herbs like thyme, dill or rosemary of choice for the sauce,whatever it is, this will taste amazing. Just try this out once and you will find it easy and will try to make often.

For veg pizza, add your favorite veggies. Instead of sausages you can also add fried chicken pieces. Pizza base and the sauce will remain the same for all the pizza, only the toppings differ.

As Valentine’s day is coming, give a surprise pizza lunch or dinner to your loved ones and see the magic….

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

1. Maida- 2 Cups
2. Active Yeast- 1 tbsp
3. Warm Water- ½- ¾ Cups
4. Sugar- 1 tbsp
5. Salt- as required
6. Olive Oil- 2 tbsps

For the tomato Sauce:

1. Tomatoes- 3 nos
2. Garlic ( chopped)- 8- 9 Cloves
3. Oregano- 1 tbsp
4. Basil- 1 tbsp
5. Salt- as required
6. Olive Oil- 2 tbsps

For the filling:

1. Chicken Sausages- 5 nos
2. Capsicum- 1no
3. Onions- 1 no
4. Tomato- 1 no
5. Mushrooms- 5- 6 nos
6. Mozzarella Cheese- to cover the pizza

Method:

Preparing the dough:

1. Mix warm water along with sugar, salt and yeast. Pour this yeast mixture on to maida which is taken in a big bowl. Mix well using hand or a wooden spoon.
2. Transfer this onto a floured surface and mix properly using both the hands. Add more flour if the dough is sticky. Take care that the dough shouldn’t be dry.
3. Rub olive oil on top of this dough and cover this using a cling film, keep this aside till the dough doubles, for about 1 hour. Meanwhile prepare the sauce (Method of preparing the sauce is below) and cut the vegetables.
4. After 1 hour, knead and punch the dough and keep this aside for 10 minutes.
5. Grease a pizza tray with oil and spread equally the dough with oiled hand into a round disc or desired shape. Keep this aside.

Preparing the sauce:

1. Blanch the tomatoes, by dropping the tomatoes in boiling water. after about a minute or 2, the skin of the tomatoes will peel off.
2. Remove the tomatoes and remove the skin and seeds. Cut it into small pieces.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic, tomatoes and stir well it forms mushy.
4. Add oregano and dried basil, stir and add little water. Simmer on low flame for about 5- 10 minutes.

For the topping:

1. Cut the sausage into round pieces and lightly fry in oil. Keep this aside.Cut all the vegetables into cubes.
2. On the round disc, Spread the prepared sauce equally by covering the surface.
3. Over this place the cubed vegetables and sausages as desired and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top covering the pizza.
4. Preheat the oven for 400 degrees C.Bake this pizza in the preheated oven for about 20- 25 minutes or till it turns golden brown in colour. Enjoy this yummy pizza.