Profiteroles

Profiteroles are simply choux pastry balls. They can be made to a delicious dessert by filling up with whip cream, pastry cream or even ice cream. I made mine filled with Chantilly cream filling which is basically whipped cream.  Profiteroles are often dusted with icing sugar or topped with chocolate sauce. Here is the recipe for this heavenly dessert.

Ingredients: Makes about 12

60g butter cut in to cubes

150ml water

75g self raising flour (or plain flour)

2 eggs lightly beaten

Method:

Put water and butter in a heavy bottom pan and heat over medium heat until butter melts taking string occasionally. Bring it the mixture to a boil, take the pan off heat and immediately add the flour stirring vigorously with a  wooden spoon. Stir until it forms a soft ball. 

Leave it to cool before adding the eggs. (if the mixture is hot the eggs tends to cook and form strings)

Add the eggs gradually and stir to combine to form a smooth, shiny paste.

Grease the baking trays and lightly sprinkle with water. Put 12 tablespoons of pastry on the tray. (Alternatively use a pasty bag and pipe in the dough without a cap, on to the baking trays. )

Bake in a preheated oven of 220C for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 190C and bake further 20 minutes or until profiteroles are golden in color.

Allow to cool. Slit the profiteroles and fill in with Chantilly cream. Dust the profiteroles with icing sugar on top. Serve!!!

Chantilly Cream:

150ml whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

1/2tsp vanilla essence

With an electric beater whip everything together until it forms stiff peaks.

Chocolate sauce:

50g semi sweet chocolate/ dark chocolate chopped

7.5g butter

3/4  tbsp clear bee honey

30ml full fat milk

Mix everything together in a bowl and microwave on high for 30secs or melt the chocolate on top of a double boiler and stir to mix to make chocolate sauce.
Allow to cool to room temperature and  drizzle over the profiteroles.

Chinese Style Green Beans

''I wanted to make something Chinese today and found Green beans in my kitchen. So here's a very quick and popular way to make Green beans the Chinese way.''

Ingredients: serve 4

Green  Beans 250g

1tsp fresh minced ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp water

1 tsp corn flour

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1/2tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soya sauce

1/2tsp red chili flakes

2 tbsp sunflower oil

salt to taste

Method:

Pick the edges, string and wash the Green beans.

Steam the Green beans until tender but not too soft. Dump the green beans in cold water to cool off. Drain the water and wipe each bean with kitchen towel.

Cut to desired pieces if preferred or keep as it is.

Heat a wok with sunflower oil, add in the minced garlic and ginger. Fry till the raw smell goes off. Add in the Green beans and fry for 5 minutes. 

Mix all other ingredients together to make a sauce and pour over the green beans and toss to mix well. Fry for a minute and take off heat. Season with salt to taste

Serve with fried rice.

Canned Mackerel Stir Fry

''This is an easy and favorite dish of mine frequently made at home with little variations. We, Sri Lankans calls it as 'Saman Thel Dala' even though the its not really Salmon. Canned Mackerels are quick to cook and goes very well with rice, bread or roti.''

Ingredients: Serve 4-6

1 can Mackerel in brine

1 large onion sliced finely

1 tomato cut in to cubes

2 green chilies slit

1 garlic clove minced

1cm ginger grated fine

1 spring of curry leaves

1tsp red chili flakes

1tsp soya sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

salt to taste

1/2 a lime juice

sunflower oil 2tbsp

Method:

Drain mackerel off brine and break in to pieces. Heat oil in a non stick pan, add the onions and fry till translucent. Then add in the minced garlic, ginger, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for a minute. Add in chili flakes stir. Add tomato and fry for a minute. add the Mackerel and season with soya sauce, salt and pepper. Fry for about 5 minutes till done and squeeze some lime juice to taste.

Aloo Gobhi

Aloo Gobhi means Potato Cauliflower. This is a very popular Indo Pakistani vegetarian dish which is dry and yellowish in color. It can be served with rice, rotis or naan

Serve 4

1 medium cauliflower 

2 potatoes

1 onion sliced fine

2 green chilies chopped

spring of curry leaves

3 gloves of garlic minced

1/2 inch ginger grated fine

1 tomato quarterd

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4tsp turmeric 

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1tsp coriander powder

1/2tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp sunflower oil

salt to taste

Method:

Peel and cut the potatoes in to 1 inch cubes. Wash and cut the cauliflower in to florets. Season both with some salt.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan and fry the onion,green chili, curry leaves till the onions turn translucent. Add in garlic and ginger. Fry till the raw smell goes off. Add in the potatoes, all the powders apart from the garam masala, and stir for 30 seconds. add a little bit of water, cover the pot and cook the potatoes till the potatoes are almost cooked. You can test by inserting a fork, if it penetrates but with some difficulty, its time to add in the cauliflower.

Add in the cauliflower and tomato, Check for seasoning. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is soft. 

Make sure there is no gravy left, otherwise keep lid off and cook till the gravy drys out.

Now sprinkle with garam masala. mix well.

Serve.