Grilled Polenta Crostinis with Aubergines and Pepper

I've been holding on to a packet of polenta for a while now because I was wary of trying something new with the limited spare time I had the last few months. But I decided I shall finally inaugurate the packet and to my relief, found it the simplest thing to make. It's healthy and tastes delicious.

For the polenta:
1 cup polenta
5 cups water
1 tbsp salt
Few sprigs of rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp Oil to grill

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil with the salt and stir in the polenta. Keep stirring till it's thoroughly mixed to prevent lumps. Add in the rosemary and garlic.

Turn the heat down to medium to low and let it cook for about 5 minutes. (The packets have their own cooking times and directions, but even though mine said cook for 30 minutes, it was done in 5)

Check to see if it's cooked - it should not be gritty. Remove from heat.

Add the cheese and spread it on to a 14-inch oiled/Teflon-coated baking tray. The thickness should be about 3/4 of an inch. Let it cool. It sets at room temperature in about 30-40 minutes. You could put it in the fridge to speed it up.

Once cool and set, cut into cubes (or any other shape you prefer). It makes about 20 squares and can be kept in the fridge for a few days to be used later.

Before serving, grill it on both sides with the oil till it turns slightly brown. Serve with toppings.

For the topping:
Red Pepper cut in rings
1 tsp oil
1 red onion diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of chopped aubergine or mushroom or zucchini
Seasoning
A few leaves of basil or coriander/parsley chopped finely

Grill the red pepper rings with the oil and set aside.

In a saucepan on medium heat, put in the butter and once it starts to melt, add the onions. Cook till soft.

Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another 2 minutes making sure the onion browns but doesn't burn.

Add the vegetable of choice with the salt and pepper and keep on medium heat till it's cooked and the juices absorbed.

To assemble, place the polenta crostinis on a plate, put a single ring of red pepper on each. Fill the centre of the ring with the vegetables, and top it up with the chopped greens.

Bombay Bruschetta

This is a mix of a classic bruschetta and a Bombay sandwich. The chutney base can be made and stored for a few days so it's also a good quick breakfast option.

For the chutney:
1 bunch of coriander
1-2 green chillies
2-3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Seasoning
1/2 cup water

Wash and dry the coriander leaves properly. Mix all ingredients in a blender and add water according to desired consistency. It should not be too watery else it'll get the bread soggy.

For the assembly:
Bread (hard bread like ciabatta or baguette)
1 finely chopped tomato
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves (optional)
Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil to drizzle

Mix the tomato, onion, and seasoning in a bowl. You can either add the oil to it now or drizzle on top after assembling the bruschetta.

On sliced bread, spread the chutney and top it up with the salad mix. Drizzle the olive oil and add crushed pepper on top.

Serve immediately.

Plum & Cherry Juice

The brilliant red of both the fruits are such a delight to see in the summers. Unfortunately though if they haven't ripened fully or are not as sweet, especially plums, they are difficult to enjoy.
I had a box of plums that were a little sour so I thought it better to make something I would enjoy out of it. If I had a de-seeder I might have baked something with it. But the seeds are difficult to remove without wasting a part of the fruit. So juicing was the best option. I added cherries for some extra flavour.

You'll need:
7-8 small plums
Handfull of cherries
4-5 tbsp sugar (according to taste)
Water to boil

Wash the fruits and remove the stems. Put them in a saucepan. Take enough water to just cover the fruits in the saucepan and add the sugar. Boil till the fruits are soft enough to remove the seeds.

Don't throw the water it was boiled in.

If it is easy to remove the skin then just remove it through a sieve and add the pulp to the water.
If the skin doesn't come off easily, especially for the cherries, then mix it in a blender and sieve it.

Once it cools down, put it in the fridge to chill. It will serve as a concentrate. Add some cold water in equal parts before serving.

Prawn Dill Masala

This is a quick and easy recipe for when you want to get out of the kitchen quick. It is not spicy as it looks - just adjust the levels of chilli powder to taste. It's a good summer eat.

You'll need:
1 large onion
250 gms prawns
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 large tomato
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Few sprigs of dill finely chopped
Oil

To temper:
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
2 green chillies, split


In some oil, fry the onions and keep aside.
In the same pan, add some garlic to 1 tsp oil and stir fry the prawns for a minute. Add salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
Using the same pan again, add 2 tbsp oil and starting with cumin, add the tempering ingredients.
Once they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, chilli powder, and lime juice.
Stir fry for about a minute then add the prawns and onion. Add 2-3 tbsp water to let the prawn cook, and add salt to taste.
Garnish with chopped dill.
Serve hot with parathas or steamed rice.

Pesto Pea Soup

I had some freshly-shelled peas during the season and wanted to make the most of it, and just happened to watch a cooking show that shared this recipe. It is easy, yet delicious.

You'll need:
2-3 cups shelled peas (frozen would do as well, but I find fresh ones have a better taste)
*1 tbsp Pesto sauce
Vegetable stock (just enough to cover the peas while boiling. Water will also suffice if you don't have stock)
Seasoning
1 tbsp cream (optional)

*If you don't have pesto on hand, then just add these directly with the peas
2 cloves garlic
4-5 cashew nuts or walnuts
5-6 leaves of basil
2 tbsp olive oil

Boil the peas with some salt till they're soft, for around 5 minutes.
Put the peas along with the water used to boil it in a blender.
Add the pesto (or the pesto ingredients) and blend till it's smooth.
Do not put it through a sieve - the slight texture adds to the flavour.
Add more water or seasoning to preference.
Top it with some crushed black pepper or cream.

Roasted Potatoes

These are quick to prepare and easy to make with just a few ingredients.

You'll need:
500 gms potatoes 
2 carrots (cleaned and peeled)
A few sprigs of Rosemary or Sage
1 large Onion (peeled and cut in half)
3-4 cloves of Garlic
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
Seasoning

1. Par boil the potatoes (I put it in the microwave for about 5 minutes) - this apparently helps in absorption of flavours.
2. In a pan, heat the oil on high heat, add the garlic and herb of choice, quickly add the potatoes and carrots making sure they're coated in the oil. Season and remove from heat after 2 minutes.
3. Put everything in a baking pan and add the onion. Make sure the pan is big enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. They shouldn't be on top of each other else, it will not roast properly.
4. Put in a pre-heated oven to 200 deg C for about 40 minutes. Serve hot

Cappuccino Cake

This cake was a gift and I even made a box to transport it. I overdid the icing I thought because of which diluted the coffee flavours. Apart from that, it came out soft and moist.

For the Cake:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
*3 tsp baking soda
*1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
3/4 cup strong coffee (3/4 cup hot water mixed with 2 tbsp instant coffee)
*If using self-raising flour then omit the baking soda and salt.

For the Filling:
3/4 cup softened cream cheese
2 tbsp icing sugar (sifted)
1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
Fruits - berries or pitted cherries (optional)

For the Buttercream Frosting:
Check this post.

Cream the butter and sugar till it's creamy.
Add the eggs and beat for another minute or so.
Sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add it to the batter.
Mix well, then add the hazelnuts.

Put in a greased 7 inch pan and bake for 30 min on 180 deg Celsius.

I have a small oven so I baked the whole batter together then sliced it in two after it cooled. For those with ovens that allow 2 tins, divide the batter in 2 pans (of the same size) and bake.

Remove from oven once it's cooked and let it cool completely. If you baked a single cake, slice it in 2 using a long serrated knife (start with the edges and move in towards the centre for a cleaner cut).
With a spoon, ladle in the coffee on the bottom layer of the cake evenly.

For the filling, mix all the ingredients (except the fruits) well and lather it on the bottom layer. Place the fruit pieces evenly and cover it up with the top half of the cake.

Let it cool for an hour in the fridge before putting on the icing, then cool again to let the icing set.