Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks are perfect for a lunch box idea, especially for the cheese lovers. Even for picky kids, try these quick and easy to make sticks, they are gonna love it.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 packet (8oz) mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg – beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or salt
• Cooking spray for baking OR any oil for frying.

 

Directions:

1. Cut cheese into 16 sticks (make sure it is cold/frozen)
2. Mix flour and cornstarch together
3. Combine breadcrumbs and garlic salt
4. Dip cheese stick into flour mixture then into egg then into breadcrumbs, evenly coat with each stick.
5. Place frozen coated cheese sticks on baking sheet. Spray the tops of the mozzarella sticks with a little more oil and bake in the bottom third of your oven until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and bake for additional 4 – 5 minutes watching them closely so they don’t melt. OR to fry, put them in the pre heated oil and fry till crispy brown – it takes around 30 seconds.
6. Wrap them in the aluminium foil and refrigerate in the night.
7. Microwave in the morning and pack in the lunch box!

3 Healthy Winter Soups

Hearty soups are an inevitable item for a winter dinning table – nothing comforts you more than a steaming hot soup bowl that is loaded with exquisite flavors. Keeping that in mind, today I bring three classic soup recipes from across the globe for you to try at home. All these recipes are tried, tested and adapted to suit majority of Pakistani households and taste buds. Make them a part of your dinner table or serve them as a healthy evening time snack, they will go brilliantly either way.

Tomato and Garlic Soup

Ingredients

Canned crushed tomatoes – 28 oz

Garlic (smashed) – 15+3 cloves

Medium red onions (sliced) – 2

Medium carrots (peeled & quartered lengthwise)

Chicken broth – 28 oz

Bay leaf – 1

Oregano – 1 tsp

Fresh basil (chopped) – 2tbsp

Salt – to taste

Freshly ground pepper – to taste

Olive oil – as required

Procedure

• Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry 3 cloves of smashed garlic. When it changes colour slightly, add canned crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, some salt and pepper and freshly chopped basil. Cook for few minutes and set aside.
• Take a large bowl and toss the onion, carrots, remaining garlic, a little olive oil and some salt together. Spread these veggies on a baking sheet and bake them for about 6-8 minutes just to turn them slightly golden.
• Allow the baked veggies to cool down a bit and chop them in a food processor.
• Mix chicken broth, tomato mixture and processed veggies together in a pan and bring it to a quick boil on medium heat.
• Season tomato garlic soup with salt and pepper according to your taste and let it simmer till it acquires your desired consistency.
• Serve hot with croutons.

Classic Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Chicken broth – 5 cups

Boneless chicken (boiled & shredded) – 2 cups

Celery stalks (cut in ¼ inch rounds) – 3 medium

Carrots (cut into half inch pieces) – 2 medium

Potatoes (cut into half inch pieces) – 2 medium

Salt – to taste

Ground black pepper – to taste

Procedure

• Bring chicken broth to a quick boil over medium heat.
• Add vegetables and cook till they become tender.
• Stir in chicken and let it simmer for few minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately with french garlic bread.

 Classic Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients

Chicken broth – 8 cups

Milk – 1 cup

Heavy cream – ½ cup

Russet potatoes (peeled & diced) – 8 small

Carrots (peeled & diced) – 2 medium

Onion (finely chopped) – 1 small

Fresh parsley (minced) – as required

Salt – to taste

Freshly ground black pepper – to taste

Cheese of your choice (grated) – 1 cup

Boneless chicken breasts (cut in stripes and baked) – 250 gm

Flour (for thickening) – 3 tbsp

Procedure

• Combine all diced veggies in a large pan except parsley. Fill the pan with enough water to soak the veggies completely and bring to a quick boil.
• Add chicken broth and cook until potatoes become tender. Allow the mixture to cool and blend everything together until smooth with a food processor.
• Keep the heat medium and bring soup to a gentle boil. Combine flour and milk together in a separate pan and pour into the soup over medium heat while whisking gently. Let it simmer on slow heat for 10 minutes or so.
• Season with salt and pepper according to the taste.
• Stir in heavy cream and fresh parsley. Turn off the heat.
• Laddle soup in serving bowls and add grated cheese, (I like cheddar, you can add whatever you like) and baked chicken strips on top. Serve hot.

French Toast Roll Ups

For kids, sugary snacks seem to be unavoidable. Whether it’s lunch time or any other time of the day, they tend to opt for the snacks rather having a proper meal.

If your kid is one snack lover with a sweet tooth and you are worried about his eating habits and health then don’t! Instead of saying “no”, prepare a home-made snack that is healthy for your child. Kids simply love to have different and yummy food in their lunch boxes everyday. So, taking French toast roll ups with their favourite filling as a lunch will not only excite them up but will also curb their sweet tooth and snack cravings.

These yummy and easy to make roll ups do not only look scrumptious to kids but they can also spice up your snack routine. The best thing about these roll ups is that they neither require much time nor much ingredients.

Ingredients

• 8 slices white bread
• Peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese OR nutella for filling
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Butter, for greasing the pan

Directions

• Cut the edges of the bread and flatten it out with a rolling pin.
• Put a teaspoon or two of your chosen filling an inch from one end of the bread and spread out in a strip. Roll the bread up.
• In a bowl beat the eggs and milk.
• In a separate bowl mix the sugar with the cinnamon.
• In a skillet set over medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter.
• Add the rolls to the egg, coat all sides then place them in the pan seam side down. Cook in batches until golden brown on all sides. Add butter to the pan as needed.
• Add the hot rolls from the pan to the cinnamon sugar and roll until completely covered.

5 Awesome Weekend Dinner Ideas

Deciding on menu for a weekend family dinner can be a hard nut to crack. All family members get together on dinner table usually on weekends,so it is important to consider the choices of everyone while selecting the menu. At the same time, six separate dishes cannot be made for a family of six members just to please everyone so here are few dinner menu ideas that most of the desi taste buds would love. All the mentioned dishes are rich in ingredients and calories so you do not need to make any formal starters or side dishes with them. Only a single dish will perform its magic!

Biryani:

A desi foodie can never have enough of biryani! In our list of weekend dinner ideas this time, biryani is at the top. Let it be a wedding ceremony, a birthday party, a get together of friends or a formal office party; biryani will always make it to the menu list. So if you are uncertain about what to make this weekend for your family, without thinking twice, go for biryani. If your family is fond of meat then go for it else vegetable biryani is a healthy yet delicious option.

Pizza:  

Now pizza is not exactly our own desi dish but  it is one of  the most popular and loved meal of our desi kids. If you want to treat your kids with something special this weekend then surprise them with a pizza party. Don’t worry, you certainly don’t need to ruin your weekly budget to order pizza from some restaurant or expensive food chain, simply buy frozen pizza base, top it up with your choice of topping and bake it. Tada! You have your own personalized pizza ready at home. 

Steamed Roast:

If you are conscious about the health of your family and want to bring something healthy without cutting the spice element to your table then steamed roast is probably the best choice. Marinate your chicken with spices and wrap it in aluminium foil. Take a steel pot, fill it half with the water and put it on stove. Now place a steel strainer over it, put your foiled chicken on the strainer, cover it and cook it for 90 minutes or until chicken gets done completely. The steam roast will turn out juicy, tender and spicy without any oil and fats. Serve it with raita and salad, and you have a complete healthy desi meal ready!

Karahi Gosht:

Karahi gosht is another popular meat dish of Pakistan, that is easy to cook  and loved by people of all age groups. Make it either with chicken or mutton, it will infuse that spicy and sizzling desi aroma in your weekend menu. Serve it hot with tandoori naan and enjoy the weekend with your family.

Daal Makhni:

If you want to navigate from meat and want to try something different then give this dish a try. The added butter and cream makes this dish rich and delightful.  Add baghar of zeera, sabit mirch and curry leaves on the top of your daal and serve it with hot phulkas. Your family will certainly love this simple but special daal dish.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe

A good book, a warm blanket and a steaming mug of hot chocolate is probably the best companionship for long winters night. Here is that perfect hot chocolate recipe for you to whip it up yourself every time you long for it, and yes we have got that technical creamy part covered too, just use full cream milk and take your time while whisking it.

INGREDIENTS

Full cream milk – 1L

Semi sweet chocolate – 230g

Salt – a pinch

Instant coffee – a pinch

Ground cinnamon – ½ tsp

Sugar – to taste

Whipped cream – as required

PROCEDURE

• Warm milk in a large pan.
• Add salt, coffee, grated chocolate and sugar into boiling milk and keep mixing it with a hand whisk. If you don’t like coffee, you can omit it however it enhances the flavour of chocolate.
• Reduce the heat to minimum; add ground cinnamon and continue whisking until you get your desired smooth and creamy consistency.
• Pour warm hot chocolate into mugs and top it with a spoon full of rich whipped cream and grated chocolate.
• This recipe serves three people.

Stuffed Peppers – Recipe

Stuffed peppers have long been a delicacy of Spanish cuisine, but this delicious item has been adopted by food lovers around the world. Stuffed peppers can be made with a variety of ingredients, from chicken or beef and cheese or vegetables. Lets find out how to make stuffed peppers in these easy steps.

INGREDIENTS:
* 4 bell peppers
* 2 x 250g pouches cooked tomato rice
* 2 tbsp pesto
* handful pitted black olives , chopped
* 200g goat’s cheese , sliced

METHOD:
1. Use a small knife to cut the top out of the peppers, then scoop out the seeds. Sit the peppers on a plate, cut-side up, and cook in the microwave on High for 5-6 mins until they have wilted and softened.
2. While the peppers are cooking, mix the rice together with the pesto and olives and two-thirds of the cheese. Scoop the rice into the peppers, top with the remaining goat’s cheese and continue to cook for 8-10 mins 

Turkish Kofte Sandwich

Ingredients

* 4 ounces ground beef
* 2 onions
* 2 cloves garlic
* salt and pepper
* parsley or mint
* 1/2 cucumber
* olive oil
* thick yogurt
* Turkish bread/Pita Bread
* 2 tomatoes
* lettuce

Method:

1. chop onions, 1 glove of garlic and parsley.
2. Mix the onions, garlic and parsley with the grounded beef and a bit of salt and pepper.
3. With your hands make walnut shaped little meatballs.
4. You can either grill the meatballs, or prepare them in some olive oil.
5. In the meantime.
6. Mix the yoghurt with garlic and mint herb.
7. Slice tomatoes,lettuce and cucumber.
8. Now take a turkish bread (flat, round thick bread) cut in 4 squares, open them and’butter up’ the bread with the yoghurt dressing.
9. Put in lettuce tomatoes, cucumbers and meatballs, and finish with some extra yoghurt dressing. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Quick Recipe

These cookies are fully loaded with chocolate, soft from inside while crisp from edges.Very easy and very delicious…:)

INGREDIENTS:
Unsalted butter 3 oz
Soft light brown sugar 2 oz
Egg 1 large
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Plain flour sifted 6 oz
Cocoa sifted 1oz
Baking powder 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Milk or white chocolate 3 1/2 oz

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 180c.

• Whisk together the butter and sugar with electric whisk until pale n fluffy.

• Add egg and vanilla ,mix well.

• Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and chocolate chunks.Mix to form a soft dough.

• Place walnut sized dough on a greased baking tray.

• Flattened slightly with a damp fork and bake for 10 minutes.

• Cool on tray for 10 minutes then transfer on rack to cool completely.

Fattoush Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups romaine lettuce, torn
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 small cucumbers, peeled
• 1 green pepper
• 3 green onions, minced
• 15 mint leaves chopped, or:1 tbsp dried mint
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped purslane or chickweed (optional)
1 to 2 cups pita bread, torn into pieces
• Classic Lemon Vinaigrette: (see below)

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables into bite sizes.

If no dry bread is on hand split loaves of Arab bread by separating the top and bottom of the “pocket”, and crisp in a microwave or regular oven. (You may place the pieces of bread in a plastic bag, sprinkle with drops of olive oil, and shake well before baking.)

Prepare the dressing and toss all ingredients in a salad bowl.
Variation
Add 1-2 tablespoons hamod er rummaan pomegranate syrup to the dressing.

Classic Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt
• 1 to 2 tbsp sumac
• pinch Aleppo pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, cover, and shake to blend. 

Grilled Spicy Chicken Tikka with Mint Chutney

Chicken tikka is the most loved and popular BBQ dish of Pakistan. Making it at home, however is quite tricky thus usually it is made in outdoor gatherings. Today we have brought two amazing ways for you to make this traditional recipe at home without any extensive outdoor arrangements. The core ingredient of this grilled chicken tikka recipe is BBQ sauce which will infuse that particular smokey flavour and aroma to your dish that we all desi people love!

INGREDIENTS

Chicken breast pieces (skinless, cut into small chunks) – 1 kg

Yogurt – 1 cup

Ginger paste – 2 tbsp

Garlic paste – 2 tbsp

Dried coriander (roasted & crushed)  - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds (roasted & dried) – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Black pepper (crushed) – 1 tsp

Red pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam Masalah – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 3 Tbsp

BBQ sauce – 2 tbsp

PROCEDURE

• Mix yogurt, lemon juice and all dry spices together in a large bowl. Add chicken, mix well and leave it for minimum 6 hours or preferably overnight.
• Preheat your oven on medium temperature (200 C) for 15 minutes.
• Thread the chicken pieces onto your oven skewers and grill them for 15-20 minutes or until chicken gets done.

ALTERNATE METHOD

Don’t have an oven at home? You need to panic not, you can still make spicy chicken tikka at home on a regular grill pan. Marinate chicken pieces using same ingredients and instructions. Thread chicken pieces onto wooden skewers rather than the steel ones.

• Put your grill pan on high flame and drizzle some regular cooking oil over it.
• Place your chicken skewers on it and cook on high flame, keep flipping them for an even cooking.
• Ideally, chicken tikka will be done within 10-12 minutes on the grill pan.

INGREDIENTS FOR MINT CHUTNEY

Yogurt – 1 cup

Mint leaves – as required

Green chilies – 5-6

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Dried coriander – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

PROCEDURE

• Blend everything together including a little water in an electronic mixture except yogurt.
• Add the green mixture to yogurt and blend until it turns into a smooth dip without any lumps.

Serve your home made grilled spicy chicken tikka with hot naan and hot dips of your choice. This dish would be enough for 5-6 people.