Mayonnaise Recipe

My sandwiches must have butter or mayonnaise. I simply cannot think of a decent sandwich without mayonnaise or butter. It really enhances the taste of the sandwich. I love mayonnaise but then it must have have a lot of calories judging from the ingredients but one can indulge once in a while. I am sure it is better than replacing it for butter for a sandwich if you are watching those calories. This recipe is from my Sumeet mixer cum grinder recipe book. It works well and I have made it several times over the years. If refrigerated, it could last for about a week or so if you make sure no water comes in contact during the process. But if you would like to have mayonnaise in your fridge all the time, then you can opt for American Garden's mayonnaise. I swear by it; it's the best store-bought one I have found among those that I tried. Mayonnaise can be used to make Russian salad which can also be used as a canape filling. Then it can be used as a sandwich spread and in chicken rolls. I will be showing you how to make chicken rolls some time soon. Till then you can master the art of making homemade mayonnaise.

How to make mayonnaise

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 tspn mustard
1 tbspn vinegar
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn pepper
1.5 tspn sugar
3.5 cups salad oil or sweet oil
1/2 cup cream (optional)
1 tspn lemon juice

Method:

• Break eggs into the mixer fitted with the whipper blade as you will be using the whipping button only.
• Run the mixer at whipping speed for about 10 seconds or till eggs and light and fluffy.
• Add the remaining ingredients except for the cream and oil.
• Run mixer till all the ingredients are well blended.
• While the mixer is running, slowly add the salad oil through the funnel
• Blend till you get a thick consistency.You can stop here if you like. The mayonnaise still tastes great!
• Stop the mixer.
• Add cream and run the mixer again for 10 seconds or till well blended.
• Store the mayonnaise in a jar and refrigerate.
• Use it to make chicken rolls, as a sandwich spread or to make Russian salad to fill canapes or forminhas.

Striped chocolate jelly dessert

I was inspired to make this from a striped coffee jelly dessert recipe I saw on the Net but I didn't quite like the idea of using all coffee in the dessert so I made my own changes substituting some of the coffee powder with cocoa powder and so I am presenting to you this striped chocolate jelly. This is my first time working with gelatin and I was a bit apprehensive about how this would turn out. I made this dessert for Christmas and it turned out to be quite a hit. Do try it out and let me know what you think.

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How to make a layered chocolate jelly dessert

Ingredients:

½ tin Sweetened Condensed Milk (Milkmaid)

4 regular teacups Water

8 tbsps. Instant Coffee

4 tbsps. Sugar

4 tbsps. Unflavored Gelatin

- See more at: http://www.hildastouchofspice.com/2011/08/striped-coffee-jelly-pudding.html#sthash.WTsHmjpM.dpuf

½ tin Sweetened Condensed Milk (I used Amuls' Mithai Mate but you may also use Nestle's Milkmaid)
5 teacups water
2 tbspns. instant coffee (I used Nescafe)
6 tbspns. cocoa powder (I used  Cadbury's)
5 tbspns. sugar
5 tbspns. unflavored gelatin

½ tin Sweetened Condensed Milk (Milkmaid)

4 regular teacups Water

8 tbsps. Instant Coffee

4 tbsps. Sugar

4 tbsps. Unflavored Gelatin

- See more at: http://www.hildastouchofspice.com/2011/08/striped-coffee-jelly-pudding.html#sthash.WTsHmjpM.dpuf

½ tin Sweetened Condensed Milk (Milkmaid)

4 regular teacups Water

8 tbsps. Instant Coffee

4 tbsps. Sugar

4 tbsps. Unflavored Gelatin

- See more at: http://www.hildastouchofspice.com/2011/08/striped-coffee-jelly-pudding.html#sthash.WTsHmjpM.dpuf

Method:

• Soak the gelatin in one cup of water in a vessel.
• Dissolve the gelatin by heating the vessel in a double boiler or over a pan of hot water.
  Heatthe remaining water and dissolve the coffee powder and the cocoa powder in it.
• Divide the cocoa and coffee mixture into one part and two parts.
• Add one third of the dissolved gelatin and half the sugar to one portion.
• Keep aside this black jelly.
• Add the sweetened condensed milk to the other two parts of the cocos and coffee mixture along with the rest of the gelatin. 
• Mix thoroughly.
• You can also adjust the sweetness of the two mixtures by tasting them and adding more sugar if desired.
• Take a cake tin or any suitable bowl which can resist heat if you want to turn out the jeely pudding on to a plate.
• Pour one third of the milk mixture and chill in refrigerator till set.
• Then stir the cocoa coffee mix and pour half over the set jelly.
• Chill in the fridge again.
• Stir each mixture well before layering and continue like this so that you have 3 milky layers (1/3 qty used each time) and 2 dark layers (1/2 qty used each time) in between as shown in the picture.
• Chill after each layer has been poured in and when it sets, pour in the next layer.
• Just before serving, keep the jelly out for a few minutes and then invert onto a platter.
• Alternatively, you could dip the cake tin in hot water for a few seconds to loosen the dessert.
• Cut into squares or into whatever shapes you see fit.

  

  Chocolate jelly layered dessert

  
  

Soak gelatin in one cup water.

Dissolve by heating over a pan of hot water or in a double boiler.

Dissolve coffee powder in the remaining three cups of hot water. Divide the coffee liquor into two equal portions.

Add half of the dissolved gelatin and sugar to one portion.

Keep aside this black coffee jelly.

Add sweetened condensed milk to the other portion of coffee along with the remaining gelatin. Mix well to get milk coffee jelly mixture.

In a small loaf tin pour 1/2 inch layer of black coffee jelly & chill until set.

Then pour a ½ inch layer of milk coffee jelly over the set black coffee jelly. Chill in the fridge again.

Stir each of the jelly well before layering.

Similarly, alternate layers until both the jelly is used up. Chill until set.

Dip loaf tin in hot water to loosen the coffee pudding. Invert & unmould gently onto a plate.

Cut into sufficiently thick slices. Serve chilled with whipped cream & decorate with cherries if desired.

- See more at: http://www.hildastouchofspice.com/2011/08/striped-coffee-jelly-pudding.html#sthash.WTsHmjpM.dpuf

Mini Cakes

I recently made the cupcakes in little cupcake liners. But since I had to leave for work soon, after the first batch of my cupcakes, I had no time to spoon them out into the cupcake liners. Hence I thought of trying out these little silicon loaf moulds that a friend had brought us from Canada. So here are my mini cakes. I have already taken a slice out of one as I couldn't wait to taste it! :) Hope you like my mini cake loaves. I used the basic sponge cake recipe that I used to make the cupcakes.

Mini cake loaves in silicon loaf moulds

American Garden Mayonnaise

American Garden Mayonnaise is a good substitute if you have no time to make homemade mayonnaise or you want to have it in your refrigerator any time you like. It is the best store bought mayonnaise that I have tasted and I will vouch for it. Comes in handy if you have this mayonnaise in your fridge. Use it to make Russian salad, as a sandwich spread and in chicken rolls.

American Garden Mayonnaise

Russian Salad or Canape Filling

Russian salad is quick and easy to prepare and can be served simply as a salad or it can also be used as a canape filling. If you do not have canapes, you can top toast or crackers with this canape filling making for a quick snack. You can make your own variations of the Russian salad by adding bits of apple, pineapple and anything else you might see fit.

How to make Russian Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium sized potatoes

3-4 carrots

1/2 cup green peas

10 French beans or ring beans

2 hard boiled eggs

3 heaped tbspns home made mayonnaise (or store bought one like American Garden mayonnaise) or as per taste

1/2 cup grated cheese or as per taste (I normally use boiled prawns chopped fine)

salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the potatoes, carrots and green beans into 1cm bits or smaller.

• Boil the veggies with salt and just enough water.
• For quick home consumption, I put all the veggies together in a pressure cooker and cook on simmer after the first whistle for another three whistles.  
• Drain and keep aside to cool. 
• Dice the boiled eggs.
• When the veggies have cooled, mix them with the mayonnaise, grated cheese and diced eggs.

• And presto, your Russian salad or canape mix is ready!
• Serve at room temperature or cold.

Home-made Crackers

Making canapes can be a tedious process if it is for home consumption so my sis had this bright idea of making crackers using the same ingredients of the canape recipe or forminhas recipe that I put up on this blog earlier. Then she rolled the dough out into a thin sheet just like for the canape recipe but cut them out into rectangles and pricked them with a fork before she deep fried them. So much easier and less troublesome. Besides, they will taste just the same! ;)

How to make crackers at home

Topping these home-made crackers with a Russian salad makes for a quick snack so next time you are ravenous, try this out. :) It will definitely help if you make some crackers and keep them ready for use or you could use some toast or store bought Cream crackers.

How to make a quick snack with home-made crackers and Russian salad topping

Rissóis de Camarão (Shrimp Turnovers)

If you have ever wondered how to make rissois the camarao, there is no need to wonder any more. The recipe for rissóis de camarão or shrimp or prawn turnovers is one we Goans have inherited from the Portuguese. It is a great melt in the mouth treat if made correctly and a hot favourite at parties and wedding receptions. As an appetizer, you can make the rissóis small but if they are going to part of your supper then you would do well to make the rissóis de camarão a bit larger; it will also save you the trouble of all the extra work if you make them large. This rissóis de camarão recipe makes about 3 dozen small rissois or 1.5 dozen large rissois. Note that the singular of rissois is rissole 'cos I find a lot of people referring to a single one as rissois! When I tried this recipe the first time, everybody liked them and my mum, she doesn't care for the ones from Dom Pedro any more... A little bit of trouble but they are simply worth every bit of effort you put in. Make them and treat yourself and your family!

How to make rissois de camarao

Ingredients:

For the pastry
2 cups maida / all-purpose flour

2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
a pinch of salt

For the filling
1/2 cup prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined, cooked with a pinch of salt and a little bit of water till done and dry and coarsely chopped

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coriander leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white
2 tablespoons corn flour
2 tablespoons water

For the frying
2 large eggs, beaten 

Fine breadcrumbs or semolina (I normally prefer breadcrumbs but I didn't have them in my kitchen when I made this lot).

Oil

Method:

Make the filling

• Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until it turns a light golden.
• Turn down the heat to low, pour in the milk, and heat to just before boiling point. Add the chopped coriander leaves, salt and pepper.
• Mix the corn flour with the water. Add to the milk mixture and simmer over low heat, stirring continuously till it thickens, should take a minute or 2. Add the chopped shrimp, let heat through for a minute, and take off heat. Keep aside to cool completely.

Make the pastry 

• In a saucepan, place the butter, milk and salt. Warm until the milk just about reaches boiling point. Then reduce the heat to low.
• Using a spoon, stir the flour vigorously into the milk. Continue stirring over low heat till it forms a dough. When the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan and turns into a ball, take off stove.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead the warm dough until smooth and the dough springs back slightly when pressed with your finger. Divide the dough into two balls, and keep one covered under an inverted bowl to keep warm.

Assemble and fry the pastries

• Take the other half of the dough and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a cutter, cut disks that are 3.5 to 4 inches in diameter (these work well for home consumption but you can make them smaller if you are making these as appetizers for a party). Knead the remnants into a dough and make more circles till all the dough is exhausted.
• Place 1 teaspoon of the prawn filling in the center of a circle. Fold the dough circle over to form a half circle, pressing the edges together after applying a dab of water to the edge. Keep aside on a tray or plate. Repeat until all the dough and filling are used.

Getting the prawn rissois assembled

Prawn rissois ready for frying

• Dip each rissole into beaten egg with one hand and then drop it into the breadcrumbs. With the other hand, turn it over so as to coat it well with the bread crumbs. Otherwise, you end up getting a lot of bread crumbs into the beaten egg. Set aside.
• Put 2 or 3 inches of oil in a deep skillet on medium-high heat till the oil is hot or until a bit of the pastry sizzles when you drop it into the oil. Fry the rissóis, a few at a time so that there is no overlap, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.
• You can also freeze the rissóis on a sheet pan in a single layer without overlapping and covered with a plastic wrap. Rissóis stored in the freezer can make for a quick snack if you have some good friends or relatives visiting unexpectedly.
• Enjoy!