re-posting palak chicken(chicken in spinach sauce)

Hi guys.........I'm re-posting this recipe top send to julie's event...........and rosh's event .here's the link to the palak chicken.http://simran-lazycookskitchen.blogspot.in/2012/02/lazy-cooks-palak-chickenchicken-in.htmlhttp://erivumpuliyumm.blogspot.in/2012/02/ep-series-herbs-spicesevent.htmland to rosh'shttp://roshellechefaldente.blogspot.in/2012/02/event-announcement-gimme-green.html

lazy cooks chocolate salami

Hi guys...........howz you doing?Vegetarians.. .  ..stick around,there's no meat in this recipe..only lots and lots of calories....but we don't care..right?Whats a few calories between friends?I had done this for a friends daughter's birthday party...along with the birthday cake(pictured below)....long story short..my kids were shocked to see the entire roll of chocolate salami leaving the house..without them getting some..if not all!!!

doggy on a diet!not a happy fella:(

So here I am .....or rather here it is...I made it again.....there's another reason that I decided to do this today...my dog(casper)has been put on a diet by the vet.I told my hubby that the vet is an army officer used to army dogs..their levels of fitness differ.....but  NO..hubby doesn't agree and my poor dear is on a diet...no snacks for him,no biscuits...no baked goodies..just his food!How sad is that?.look at his sad ..sad face!.............
Onto the recipe...I normally would've used cashew biscuits...but since I can't give casper anymore digestive biscuits(he loves them)I decided to use these in the chocolate salami..that way I am not tempted to give him a tiny little bite ......chocolate is supposed to be like poison for dogs.
INGRDS
1 tin of condensed milk
200 gms of any rich biscuit
100 gms of butter
walnuts/cashewnuts(1/2 cup each)
 2 1/2 cups.dessicated coconut plus 1/2 cup more for dusting and rolling the chocolate salami
 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
METHOD
1.Put every thing in a heavy bottomed pan.....after roughly pounding the biscuits with a rolling pin....you can guess who i thought was at the other end of the rolling pin..........NO...not my hubby....the vet!

the butter has still not melted

the mixture 's come together

2.Heat it till the butter melts and everything sticks together....you keep adding the dessicated coconut..till the mix comes together.Now break off portions ,I normally go with half the mixture at a time.At this stage you need to knead(heh...heh)the mixture...spread some dessicated coconut on the slab and knead away..then roll it into a log shape.

after the kneading.

.On some clingfilm...spread dessicated coconut again,put one log in..and roll tightly...put in ther refrigerator to cool down.........at least for 2 hours.

going into the refrigerator

the cake.

for a very sweet little girl.

4. Thereafter take it out of the fridge,remove the clingfilm..and cut into thin slices.. that's all.All those who asked for the recipe yesterday...here it is..do tell me when you try it out:-).

lazy cooks nutri nugget and potato manglorean style

Hi...all!.....I'm once again stuck about the name of this dish,by now we're good friends and you know that I'm a punjabi married to a manglorean guy and this dish is from his side of the family...god alone know what its called in mangalore.....but....Since its referred to as the nuggets curry in my house..we'll go with the same.This curry tastes really good with some plain boiled basmati rice...........and this tastes real good when its spicy.
INGRDS
1 packet nutri nuggets(follow the instructions on the packet...soak the nuggets in hot water for at least half hour)
2 big potatoes..peeled and cut into cubes
2 big onions chopped fine
2 big tomatoes chopped fine
a little cilantro chopped fine(about 3 tablespoons)
1 whole pod of garlic chopped fine
2 green chillies chopped fine
1 coconut grated.or 1 tetrapack of coconut milk(its not available here..otherwise i always use the tetra pack)
for the dry masala
1 tablespoon of dhania (corriander) seeds
1 teaspoon of jeera(cumin) seeds
2 teaspoons of peppercorn(black)
6 dried red chillies
1 inch pc of cinnamon
4-5 cloves
grind this together.(.after dry roasting these for a few mins)
METHOD

1.Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed pan(kadhai)..fry the garlic and green chilli till golden brown.......add the onions ..fry these till golden brown.

2. Add the tomatoes,half the cilantro,the salt and dry masala.....cook till the oil comes out of the masala,now add the nuggets and the potatoes...and enough water to soak all of this...about 1 1/2 cups(sorry forgot to measure this!)...cover with a tight fitting lid.

3.In an ideal world I would have just opened the tetra pack and poured the coconut milk into the curry..once the potatoes are cooked through........however I had to put the  grated coconut in the blender..add some hot water and blend away.....then I'm afraid I don't believe in straining and taking out the coconut milk...I simply dunk the whole thing in the gravy........its ok people..its still tasty..and think of all the health benefits..of consuming the whole coconut!
4.Garnish with some more chopped cilantro...serve hot with boiled basmati rice.
5.The same gravy can be used to make egg curry(just put boiled eggs in when the gravy is done).....or chicken curry.The gravy base is really versatile.........and tastes real good. 
sending this to http://erivumpuliyumm.blogspot.in/2012/02/ep-series-herbs-spicesevent.html

lazy cooks butter cake

I seriously need to meet Mr. Kapil Sibal and tell him his idea of making education stress free for the children has worked.................my kids are in a school which has adopted the system proposed by him and they are completely STRESS FREE.They have their exams.............their finals if you please..but looking at them you aren't going to think that....heck ..even right now..they are out playing with their other stress free friends.....I in the meantime(I belong to the old school...of studying..when there are exams)am going "greyer" by the second,my blood pressure is up and MY stress levels are through the roof!...........but not the kids...they are happy..not to worry!
I decided that the only thing that's going to help me is to find a new recipe for butter cake....so after looking through the recipes on the net...this particular one seemed just right.this is the easy butter cake recipe by Bella on bestrecipes.Its a really good recipe......the taste is simply super,the only thing that went wrong (in my case )was that it was a little crumbly...but that was probably because I did not have self raising flour..and used baking pdr..get self raising flour and make this cake.you wont regret it.
INGRDS
2 eggs
125 gms butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups self raising flour
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
METHOD

eggs,butter,flour,sugar,milk and essence

going into the oven

1.Couldn't be easier......simply put everything(yes..yes..everything)in a bowl....beat with an electric beater...pour into a prepared tin(greased and floured)..bake in a pre heated oven (180deg C)..till a skewer comes out clean..........about 30 mins.

oh!the aroma.....yum!so close..yet so far!

given up waiting! there's no hope when the lady is busy clicking snaps instead of feeding us cake.

2.Cut and serve with tea,or coffee.....or simply have it plain...the buttery taste is just heavenly.
sending this to http://anjali-cooklog.blogspot.in/2012/02/announcing-my-first-event-cakes-cookies.html

lazy cooks grape jam

Hello!I love making preserves..........as you can check out the apple and fig jam..here.. and the gajar,gobi shalgam ka achar..here..........so when I saw.la@foodslice's.....purple grape jam...in all its purple glory..I just knew I had to make it  ASAP!She had made a very nice loaf with it too.I got the grapes, guarded them with my life(I have grape thieves around)..and made the jam on the stormy Sunday morning!Its a really easy recipe...and the jam is simply superb........thank you so much..la@foodslice...THANK YOU.....I simply loved the recipe.....and the whole family freaked out on the jam.....its being had on toast,on roti..or simply in a spoon! 
INGRDS
1 kg seedless black grapes......washed..and removed from the stem
2 cups sugar
METHOD
1.Put the grapes in a blender and blitz for a few seconds(you do not want complete mush..a few pieces here and there is good)
2.Into a heavy bottomed pan on medium high heat ,heat till bubbles appear on the side.then put the sugar in .....stir.
3.Let this bubble away for about 25 mins,stir once in a while...with a wooden spoon.....,.then after 25 mins....check for doneness.......simply take the spoon out of the purple madness..and draw a line in the back of the spoon (use your finger)...if the two halves don't make any attempt to get together..then the jam is done!

4.On toasted bread.its beyond divine............yum...yum.

lazy cooks chocolate biscuits

Add caption

OMG!Finally my net connection was restored..........it was extremely frustrating...........waiting...waiting..it was a case of...waiting for the storm to get over(we had a rather stormy(!) weekend....then rushing to see if the connection was back.....then again checking after sometime.....anyway....hopefully the connection will now stay!
This is  not my brainchild..........these are from the pioneer woman's website and they are out of this world!simply superb.....if you are a chocoholic..you won't be able to stop at 1...and def. dunk them in the melted chocolate..........although I had  1 or 2...ok maybe 3-4 without the extra chocolate  and they were pretty good too..........the thing is with the chocolate coating..they are mind blowing!I had halved the recipe and made it...and am kicking myself for it..should've made the full thing!
INGRDS
250 gms butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 whole gg
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa pdr
1/2 tsp salt
cooking chocolate-i used about 200 gms
  METHOD
1.Beat the butter and pdr sugar,add the vanilla essence and egg..beat  again.Add the flour,cocoa pdr salt.
2.Roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness(about a parantha thickness..lets say...pls don't bother measuring this)and cut out.........use a cookie cutter............or simply cut whatever shapes you desire.These cute little teapots....I got 3 trays out of half the recipe.
3.In a pre heated oven.190degC ..........bake for 7-9 mins.
4.After they come out of the oven..let them cool down.

waiting to go into the oven.

cooling down...a few got "tasted"

5.Melt the chocolate in a double boiler..........dip the biscuits in..let me harden up(I put them in the fridge for 10 mins)............YUM!http://anjali-cooklog.blogspot.in/2012/02/announcing-my-first-event-cakes-cookies.html

lazy cooks strawberry and white chocolate gateaux

Hello all.Its strawberry time.....when I thought of baking this cake I had two boxes of strawberries in the house....by the time I got back from my walk..I had none!......it magically dissapeared into stomach's unknown ....now I HAD to make this cake...it happens sometimes,when i just HAVE to make something.so I decided the next best thing would be to use the strawberry crush....and then add white chocolate chips to the cake and finish it off with a white chocolate icing.....I was pretty pleased with the whole thing!
INGRDS
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking pdr
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1/2 cup strawberry crush
100 gms melted butter
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
METHOD
1.Sieve the flour with the salt,baking soda,baking pdr and toss the white chocolate chips in.
2.Beat the eggs,sugar,butter,essence and the strawberry crush...(i used my blender)....add this to the dry ingrds......and bake in a pre-heated oven for 35-40 mins(at 180 deg  C).bake till a skewer comes out clean.
3. Let the cake cool.in the meanwhile prepare the icing
4. I used the "best frosting in the world"...and added melted white chocolate to it.

INGRDS FOR THE FROSTING
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
100 gms white chocolate
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
METHOD
1.Heat the flour and milk together..till thick...let it cool then add the vanilla essence.
2.Side by side melt the white chocolate in a double boiler(fill a bowl with water...let it come to a boil..put another smaller bowl in this with the chocolate)
3.Beat the sugar and butter till nice and fluffy,add the cooled flour mixture..beat again..then add the melted white chocolate...........
4.To half the frosting add the white choc. chips.
5.Split the cake in half.....spread the white choc. chip frosting,put the other cake half back on and spread the rest of the frosting.
6.Sprinkle some coloured sugar on top.

mixing the white chocolate in

spread half the mix here

7.Really nice.......except that maybe it was too much of a good thing.......the next time i'm going to reduce the frosting to half!my kids really freaked out.......but my cavities were crying!So guys...try half out first.
sending this tohttp://anjali-cooklog.blogspot.in/2012/02/announcing-my-first-event-cakes-cookies.html
and tohttp://ramyasrecipe.blogspot.in/2012/03/abc-series-fruit-fiesta.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/oKQkr+(Ramya's+Recipe...)