Minecraft Themed Birthday Cake

My favorite post on this blog has to be the Minecraft Cake I made for my son and his best friend. They share the same birthday and are best of friends since 1st grade. Their interest in characters changes every year and this was the Minecraft phase. It's been some time now and they still are big fans. Hey, I would take Minecraft over other games, it's just building and trading and I am ok with that!

I try to make a cake every year based on my son's current muse and this was the best one I ever made.

I did get the inspiration from another post online for the water and the bricks. Also, the grass tip for the piping was a really awesome idea too.

I used Blue Jello for the water, rice crispy treats for the building bricks, green colored frosting for the grass, chocolate cake for the soil and my son helped me make the characters, animals and the TNT blocks using printed make your own characters from the internet.

The key is to make everything yourself and not use the pre-made Jello, Rice Krispies or cake, since this will help in maintaining the correct dimensions needed to make the cake.

Since I was short on time, I used a boxed cake mix to make the Chocolate cake. Feel free to use a box cake or your own recipe.

Rice Krispies Treats:

Rice Krispies - 5 Cups

Butter - 2 Tbsp

Marshmallows - 25 to 30

On low heat, melt the butter and add the marshmallows. Mix until melted through and add the rice krispies. I used Kelloggs Rice Krispies. Mix well until well incorporated. While the mixture is sticky and still warm, grease a cake pan and add this mixture into the cake pan and smooth into a evenly. This should be about an inch and half to 2 inches in thickness. When slightly cool, cut into long blocks, about 3 inches wide and cool completely.

Chocolate Cake:

Using a box cake or a recipe of your choice, bake a chocolate cake in a sheet pan of your choice. The cake should be at least 4 inches in height after baking. Cook completely and set aside.

Blue Jell-O:

Kraft Jell-O - 2 Packets

Use the instructions on the back of the box to mix the Jell-O and pour into a cake pan. Make sure the depth is less than the Rice Krispie treats. It should be about an Inch or so in thickness. Once cooled and set, keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the cake.

Green Icing:

Use a boxed icing mix or make your own.

Powdered/Confectioners Sugar - 3 Cups

Butter - 1/3 Cup

Vanilla Extract - 2 Drops

Green Food Coloring - A few drops

Milk - a few Tbsp as required

Using a hand mixer or an electric mixer, beat the butter and slowly add the powdered sugar.

Beat well ad add the milk as needed to a make a stiff frosting mix. Add the vanilla extract and the food coloring and mix well.

Minecraft Characters:

There are several resources online to print, cut and make these characters. My son helped me make them and they are adorable.

When all the above steps have been complete, you are now ready to assemble the cake. There is no perfect way to doing this, so you can follow my version or assemble it in any other way you like. I stacked the chocolate cake but everything else is in a single layer.

First, cut and arrange the chocolate cake into the shape in the cake pictures above. Basically, we are trying to mimic the soil with the chocolate cake. 

Fit a piping bag with a grass tip (this is just a tip that has many tiny holes bent outwards) or just a ziploc bag snipped at the end and inserting this tip and sealing with a rubberband or a tape. Fill the bag with the frosting.

Pipe the grass onto the chocolate cake, where you gently press piping and quickly pulling off in order to make tiny thin grass like strings. Cover the entire cake with this piping.

Now, take the Rice Krispie block strips and place them around the perimeter, not evenly to mimic the blocks in Minecraft.  For all the remaining portion in the middle, cut the Jello to fit and place gently.

Top with the Minecraft Characters and you have your Minecraft themed Cake.

It does take some effort to make this, but it's totally worth it if your kid is into this. The look on my little ones faces were PRICELESS!

Breakfast Egg Muffins

We can never get tired of eggs and this is a great recipe for kids too. I have tried making them in batches and freezing them for later. However, they taste best when they are baked fresh.

Ingedients:
Eggs - 6
Red Bell Pepper - 1 small
Onion - 1 small
Spinach - 1 small bunch
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red Chili flakes - small pinch
Milk - 1/4 cup
Grated cheese - 1/2 cup
Cilantro/Parsley - a few springs

Pre-heat the over to 350F.
Dice the vegetables into small pieces. Beat the eggs along with the milk and mix all the ingredients to the beaten eggs except for the cheese.
Gently mx half the cheese and retain half to sprinkle on top.

Spray a Muffin tin and pour the mixture into the muffin tins, filling them 3/4 of the way.
Top with some cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or a little more until the eggs are set.

Remove and serve warm.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is a fool proof recipe for the Pizza base. It comes out perfect every time and Pizza nights have become a regular in our home for a family or a friends night. I use Instant Yeast and there is no resting time required for this yeast. However, I do rest the dough for a half hour and this makes it soft and easy to work with. 

I Grilled some chicken breast and used Store bought BBQ sauce. My favorite is the Devil's Spit BBQ sauce and it's delicious. However, any BBQ sauce of your choice will work well here.

Ingredients:

Pizza Crust:

All Purpose Flour - 2 Cups

Instant Yeast - 1 Envelope  Flieschmann's Pizza Crust Instant Dry Yeast

Sugar - 1 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Water - 2/3 Cup Warm 

Toppings:

Chicken Breast Cut into Cubes - 3/4 Cup

BBQ Sauce - 1 Cup

Red Onion - 1/2 

Black Olives - 1/2 Cup

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 Cup

Mix the Yeast, Sugar and Salt in warm water and leave it for 2 min. Add to the Flour with oil and mix well. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, cut some chicken breast into small cubes and sauté with some salt and pepper. Add a Tbsp of the BBQ sauce and sauté will cooked through.

Chop the Red Onion into Cubes.

Once the dough has rested for 1/2 hour, preheat the oven to 425F.

Use some dry flour and roll the dough into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick round base. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes until the base is cooked 1/2 way through. This is the secret to baking a perfect pizza base.

Remove and add spread the BBQ sauce on the base and top with chicken, olives, red onions and bake again for 4 min. Remove and top with the shredded cheese and bake again for 4 min.

Remove and let it rest for a minute before slicing it. Serve hot.

Baken Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant is a tricky vegetable and most people have a love/hate relationship with it. I am non-committal with this veggie and I neither like or dislike it, but this is certainly a dish that masks it beautifully. The Marinara and the Cheese brings out the fleshy and meaty texture without the actual taste of the eggplant that people seem to dislike.

The big eggplants work best for the dish as they are soft and cook quickly.

Pair this with a bowl of Mac and Cheese or a Salad and it's a hearty dish for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
Large Eggplant - 1
Marinara Sauce - 1 Cup
Shredded Cheese - 1/2 Cup
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Slice the Eggplant into thin 1/2 inch rounds. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
If you are not a fan, I suggest you peel the eggplant and then continue with the recipe. After a few minutes, wash and set aside.

Heat up a flat pan on medium heat and drizzle some oil and place the slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook till it starts to brown. Turn and cook on the other side for a couple more minutes. The eggplants do not need to cook completely through.

In a baking dish, add a couple Tbsp of Marinara on the bottom. Layer the eggplant slices and top with more marinara. Spread into a thin layer and sprinkle some cheese. I had a mixed Shredded Cheese of Pepper Jack and Mozzarella.
Repeat until all the eggplant slices are done.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the dish is cooked through. This should take about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with Crusty Bread and a Salad or something hearty like Mac and Cheese.

Mini Pizzas with Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread

This is my dinner routine on most days. Go into the kitchen half an hour before we eat. Find what's in the pantry and think of a quick 15 to 20 minute dish with the available ingredients. 

Here' what I had - Pita Bread, Mushrooms and some shredded cheese. What do you make with those? Pizza! It's better to use Sautéed Vegetables since these will bake in no time.

If you have some Marinara sauce, it works. Else some sautéed tomatoes, any Tomato sauce or Ketchup, Pizza Sauce will work here.

Ingredients:
Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread - 1 per person. 2 if you are realllly hungry.
Sautéed Vegetables - Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers or any other veggies of your choice
Pizza Sauce/Marinara Sauce - 1/4 Cup per mini Pizza
Shredded Cheese - 3 Tbsp per Pizza

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Spread the Pizza Sauce on the base, top with veggies and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted through.

Remove, top with some cilantro and serve hot.

Easy Mini Pecan Pies

I had some leftover pie crust from the holidays and I wanted to make something new and interesting. I have made the whole pecan pie in the past and I have a fool proof simple recipe that I have reused here. 

Corn Syrup is a common ingredient for Pecan Pie. This gives it the sticky and gooey texture, but I really didn't want to use this. It's debatable that Processed Sugar is just as bad as Corn Syrup, but I would pick a known devil over the unknown.

I made these for a dinner party at a friend's place and I cut the pie crust into rounds and baked them in a Muffin Pan. They turned out really yummy and this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients:
Pie Crust - I used Pillsbury
Pecans - 1 Cup
Flour - 2 Tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/4 Cups (White + Brown Mixed)
Butter - 1/2 Cup
Eggs - 2
Milk - 2 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract - 1/2 Tsp

Unroll the pie crust and use a bottle cap or any round cookie cutter/tin etc to make 8 small pie crusts. Gather the left over and keep rolling it back to not waste any dough.

Beat the eggs and add melted butter, vanilla extract and milk and mix. Mix all the dry ingredients separately and add to the wet ingredients and mix. Add the pecans and mix again.

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place the crust in the muffin tin moulds and pour the filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce to 350F and bake again until set. about 20 more minutes.

Remove and serve with Whipped Cream.

Corn and Oozy Cheesy Rolls

Ingredients:
Crescent Roll Tin - 1
Grated Cheese - 1 Cup
Marinara Sauce - 1 Cup
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 3
Dried Herbs - 1 Tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1 Tsp

Open the tin and spread the 8 triangles onto a flat surface. Add 1 tbsp marinara sauce and 1/5 tbsp cheese onto each triangle. Rolls into a circle and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and add the herbs, chili flakes and crushed garlic. Brush on top of the rolls.

Pre-heat oven to 375 and bake for 1o to 12 min until golden on top.

Serve hot as a side.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

Butter - 1 Stick

Flour - 1.25 Cups

Salt - A pinch

Chocolate Chips - 1/4 Cup

Brown Sugar - 3/4 Cup

Vanilla Extract -  1/2 Tsp

Egg - 1

Beat the Butter and Sugar till fluffy. Add the Egg, Salt and Vanilla Extract and beat again. Add the flour little by little and mix well. Add the Chocolate Chips and mix well. 

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place lime sized cookie dough balls on the sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 min until the cookies are slightly brown but still very soft. Remove and cool. They will continue to harden once you take them out of the oven.

Asian Baked Spicy Wings and Potatoes

I am drooling here, just thinking about the flavor of these wings. They were delicious and this is a great Asian sauce for the coating. Its Sticky, Sweet and Spicy and Finger Licking Gooooood.

I always have a standard set of Asian Condiments in my kitchen and you can made a million dishes with variations of these ingredients. Ok not a million, but a lot of them.

Ingredients:
Marinade:
Dark Soy Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Rice Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Hoisin Sauce - 2 Tbsp
Chili Garlic Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Honey - 1 Tbsp
Salt and Pepper - a pinch each
Sriracha Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 Tsp

Salt and Pepper to Season the Chicken
Corn Starch -  2 Tbsp
Chicken Wings - 1lb
Potatoes - 2

Wash and clean the chicken Wings and Cut the Potatoes into Wedges.

Season the Chicken with the Corn Starch, very little Salt and Pepper.

Season the Potatoes with very little Salt and Red Chili powder.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. 

Pre-heat over to 425F. In a baking pan, line with foil and place the potatoes on the foil.
If you have a grilling rack, place this on the pan and place the chicken wings and place in the oven. If you don't have the rack, you can place these in the pan next to the potatoes.

The rack is the best for chicken, since the juices from the chicken would drip on the potatoes and make them really yummy.

Bake for 10 min, remove the chicken and brush with the marinade. Move the potatoes around.
Place back into the oven and bake for 5 more min.. Brush again, turn and bake on the other side for 5 more min. Remove and top with some sesame seeds and green onions.

Serve with Ranch Sauce and some Carrots and Celery.

Baked Bhakarwadi

I am always looking for substitutes to frying stuff. As evident from my blog, I bake a lot and I it's really hard to substitute frying with baking when it comes to Indian snacks that can be stored for longer. I tried baking chaklis and they are ok but they are nowhere close to the fried ones. 

The bhakawadi however, turned out amazing!. The combination of the filling and the thin outer layer of dough really held up for a few days and continued to remain crispy too.

Ingredients:
Besan/Chickpea Flour - 1 Cup
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Baking Soda - 1 big pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Ajwain/Carom Seeds - 1 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp

Stuffing:
Poppy Seeds - 4 Tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 2 Tbsp
Dry Coconut - 1/4 Cup
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chilis - 4
Cilantro - a small bunch
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Asafetida -A small pinch
Coriander Cumin Porder - 1 Tbsp

Tamarind Paste.

Mix the ingredients for the dough with some water into a soft dough.
Grind the ingredients from Poppy Seeds to Cilantro and then mix the rest in.
Break the dough into 2 and roll into a thin circle. Brush with tamarind paste and sprinkle half the filling and spread thin. Repeat with the other half.
Roll each circle starting from one end into a tight cylinder. Cut into 1 inch pieces and slightly press each piece to ensure the filling does not fall out.

Pre-heat the over to 375. Place the Bhakarwadi onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the Bhakarwadis turn golden and are baked through.

Remove, cool and store.

Mediterranean Platter

Here's an elegant and clean meal that is satisfying, filled with protein and delicious. It's perfectly satisfying for the Vegetarians as well as the meat lovers.

It has most of our favorite Mediterranean dishes and dips including:

Hummus

Tzatziki Sauce

Tahini

Falafel Balls

Chicken Kebobs

Fresh Vegetables

Toasted Piza Bread

The recipe for the Kebobs can be found in my previous post. 

These are the fresh vegetables that work best with this recipe:

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Onions

Lime

Cilantro

Jalapenos

Lettuce

Chop all the veggies, prepare the dips and make the Falafels and the Chicken Kebobs. 

Either of the Kebobs or the Falafels will perfectly work to make this a complete meal, but I was making this for friends, so I ended up making both.

 

Recipe For Sauces:
I added the recipe for the Dips in my previous post as well.

Falafel Balls:
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans - 1 Cup dry
Onion - 1 small or half big
Jalapeno/Green Chili - 1
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Parsley/Cilantro - A small bunch
Salt - To taste
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp

Soak the Chickpeas overnight. All all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarse ground.
Make golf ball sized balls and either fry or bake them.
I love to use the paniyaram pan to make these, since they come out really crispy, just like the fried ones.

Serve with Fresh Vegetables, Toasted Pita and the Sauces.

Cauliflower Wings - 3 Ways

We love chicken wings and I love to make them at home. But I also wanted to try an alternative to chicken wings that was vegetarian. Cauliflower is a perfect substitute and people who hate cauliflower must have never tasted the amazing Cauliflower 65 or the delicious Indo-Chinese dishes such as Cauliflower Manchurian or Chili Gobi. 

Since the Cauliflower is not as meaty, the best thing to do is coat it in a thin batter to bring that firm texture to the vegetable.

I used 3 different Sauces:

Buffalo Sauce

BBQ Sauce

Asian Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce

You can fry the Cauliflower or bake them. I baked them, since I am not big on frying stuff. Left to me, I would bake every single thing. I think it's obvious looking at the number of baked recipes on my blog.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 2 small

Batter:

All Purpose Flower - 1/4 Cup

Corn Flour - 1/4 Cup

Rice Flower - 1/2 Cup

Salt - To Taste

Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

Mix all the ingredients for the batter with water. It shouldn't be too thin. Wash and cut the Cauliflower into florets. Heat the over to 400F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Dip the florets into the batter and place on a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 to 20 min until slightly firm and crisp.

Meanwhile, have 3 bowls for the sauces. Remove the florets from the oven, dip into the sauce until well coated and place them back onto the baking sheet. Place it back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 min or so, until the wings are cooked through and the sauces are well coated and start to dry up.

Remove and serve with a ranch dip.

Sauces:

BBQ Sauce: 

Phil's BBQ Sauce

I used store bought BBQ sauce. Phil's Devil's spit. Fair warning, this is an extremely spicy BBQ sauce, but they have milder varieties as well.

Buffalo Sauce:

Frank's Red Hot

I used 4 tbsp of Frank's Red hot, mixed with 1 tbsp melted butter.

Asian Sauce:

Hoisin Sauce - 2 tbsp

Chili Garlic Sauce - 1 tbsp

Honey - 1 tbsp

Soy Sauce - 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning.

Walnut and Carrot Cake - Valentine's special

This was a last minute attempt to make something for Valentine's day for the dear hubby. Boy am I glad I did :) He surprised me with some lovely roses and I managed to make my cake pretty with some flowers from the Backyard.

Using a Bundt cake pan gives the cake a much needed face lift and it ended up looking very pretty, perfect for a Valentine.

I adapted the recipe from this link:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/super-moist-carrot-cake-with-cream/

All-purpose flour - 3/4 cup

Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup

Granulated sugar - 1 cup

Baking soda - 2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Ground cinnamon - 2 tsp

Canola oil - 1/4 cup

Vanilla - 1 tsp

Grated carrots - 2 cups

Mashed soft Bananas - 2
Chopped Walnuts - 1/4 cup

Glaze:
Powdered Sugar - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 to 2 Tbsp
Walnuts - 5 or 6

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the 1st 6 ingredients from Flour to Cinnamon.
Combine all the wet ingredients from oil to mashed bananas. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir well. Add the chopped Walnuts and stir.

Grease a bundt pan or any normal cake pan and add the batter. Bake for about 45 min until a tooth pick comes out clean without any batter sticking to it. Remove and cool.

In a small bowl, mix the Milk and powdered sugar into a thick glaze and drizzle on the cooled cake.
Top with walnuts.

Chicken Kebobs

Ingredients:
Ground chicken: 1 pack (its usually 1 to 1.5 lbs)
Egg - 1
Green chili - 1
Salt - 2 tsp or to taste
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Red chili - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Mint leaves chopped - 2 tbsp
Corn - 1/4 cup (thaw and squeeze or use fresh)
Almonds - chopped - a handful
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Onion - 1/2
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Fine chop the onion, green chili, mint. In a bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, the chopped onion, green chili, mint, corn, almonds and all the powders. Mix well.

To check for seasoning, take a small portion of the mixture and make a small patty. Cook in a pan with a few drops of oil. Should be done in under a minute per side. Taste and adjust seasoning.


Add this mixture to a ziploc bag. Cut a small corner and pipe this onto a baking sheet lined with foil sprayed with the non-stick spray.


Pre-heat oven to 425 and bake for about 20 to 25 min. Turn half way through the cooking time.
You will know these are done when they are firm and start to brown.

Baked Potato Fries

Who doesn't love fries? Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I have tried several versions of baking these and this recipe is near perfect for a baked fry.
The trick is to cut the fries evenly, boil them for a short time and then bake them.
Add some toppings of your choice and it's a delicious even snack or an appetizer.

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 3 

Seasoning: Salt, Pepper/Cajun Seasoning

Olive Oil - 1 tsp

Toppings:

Shredded Cheese, Green Onions, Sriracha

Wash and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick fries. Place a pot of water on the stove top and boil water in it. Add salt to the water when it starts to boil and blanche the sliced potatoes in the water for 5 min. Remove and drain and excess water.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450F. Once the potatoes are partly dry, add a tsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper, paprika or any seasoning you like.

Mix well and place on a baking tray in a single layer. I like to use parchment paper to avoid cleaning up. Spray or drizzle some oil on the pan to avoid the fried from sticking to the pan.

Bake the fries for about 15 min and turn them over half way through the cooking process.

They should start to get crispy and brown. If not, bake them for a few more minutes until they do.

Remove and sprinkle with the toppings of your choice. I used some shredded mozzarella and green onions. The heat from the potatoes should melt the cheese and no more baking is required.

If you prefer, you can put them back in the over for a minute or so for the cheese to melt.

Enjoy them hot and fresh!

Paneer/Chicken Enchiladas

A good dish for a nice dinner with friends. It's one of those dishes, that works good served by itself. A side salad and my quick nachos from my earlier post would make this a complete and impressive meal. I made this for my friends who were visiting this weekend, and they were really impressed.

I got store bought enchilada sauce, but it tasted really bad, so I made it from scratch. The re fried beans however taste really good from the can. Taco bell's re fried beans work really well here.

Update: I made this dish again with paneer instead of chicken. It tasted really good too. Just substitute the chicken with panner. The rest of the process is the same.

Chicken Filling:
Ground chicken/Paneer - 1 pound
Onion - 1
Green chilis - 2
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Taco seasoning - 1 pack
Salt - to taste
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cilantro - few sprigs
Oil - 1 tbsp

In a pan, add the oil and fry the chopped onions and green chilis. When soft ad the chicken/Paneer and fry till slightly browned. Add the taco seasoning, cumin powder, salt, red chili powder and fry till done. Add the chopped cilantro and keep aside.

Enchilada sauce:
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Chili powder - 1 tbsp
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Chicken stock/Water - 1/2 cup

Simmer all the ingredients together until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Re fried beans - 1 Can
Flour tortillas - 6
Onion - 1 chopped
Cilantro - small bunch - chopped
Sharp cheddar cheese - 1 pack grated

Heat the tortillas on a pan until heated through. lay them on a chopping board and spoon 2 tbsp of re fried beans on each of the tortillas and spread evenly. Add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the chicken/Paneer filling on each of the tortillas and top with onions, cilantro and some cheese.
Roll the tortillas and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spoon the sauce on the tortillas and cover evenly. Spread the grated cheese on top and bake in a pre-heated 400F oven for 15 to 20 min.
The tortillas will start to get crisp at the ends and the cheese will be melted and bubbly.
Serve with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole.

It is well worth the effort as this is a really tasty dish.

Mini Pancake Muffins

This recipe is inspired from a post in the Pioneer Woman's blog. She has some amazing recipes and I haven't tried many, but this one is a sure winner. It's extremely easy, quick and the kids will love them.

I have a recipe for Pancakes on my blog. It's the same recipe that we can use for this dish as well.

Mini Muffin Pan
Pancake Batter
Blueberries or Chocolate Chips

Spray the Muffin pan generously and add the pancake batter to the moulds up to 3/4 full. Top with blueberries or chocolate chips.
Pre-heat the oven to 400F and bake for 8 to 10 min until baked through.

Remove and cool. Remove and serve with some syrup. This is also a good lunch box recipe for kids.

Easy Dinner Rolls

I love fresh baked bread. The aromas are intoxicating and it's my weakness. I need to make these more often, since they are really easy to make and they fit the bill for fresh homemade baked bread. Spread some butter on them right out of the oven and it's bliss.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 3.5 to 4 cups

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Yeast - 2 tbsp

Salt - A big pinch

Egg - 1 (Optional)

Mix warm water, sugar, salt and yeast and let it froth for 10 min. Once the yeast is activated, add the flour, oil and the beaten egg and mix well. I have made the rolls with instant yeast too and it works just as well.

Knead with oiled hands and let it raise for 15 min. Knead again and make golf size balls and place on a parchement lined baking sheet for 10 more min until they raise a bit.

Pre-heat oven to 375F and bake for 10 to 12 min, based on how dark you like them.
Remove and brush with olive oil or butter if you like. Enjoy they warm.

Nachos with Avocado and Black Beans

Small Corn Totillas - 6

Black Beans - Cooked and Crushed - 1 cup

Red Onion - 1

Avocado - 1

Jalapeno - 1

Salsa - 1/2 cup

Shredded Cheese - 1/2 cup

Cilantro - few sprigs

Sliced Olives - 5

Tomato - 1

Lime and Cilantro Yogurt Dressing - 1/4 cup 

(In a blender, add 1/4 cup yogurt, pinch of salt, squeeze half a lime, a small piece of avocado and a few springs of cilantro, half a jalapeno and blend)

Cut the tortillas into 6 pieces each. Arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 400F oven for 8 to 10 min until crisp.

Top the tortillas with beans, salsa, cheese and bake for 6 more min or until the cheese melts. Top with chopped veggies including onion, tomato, avocado, olives, Jalapeno and cilantro. 

Drizzle with the cilantro and lime dressing. 

Mac and Cheese - Upgraded

This is my 2nd recipe for Mac and Cheese. I don't make it too often but this is a great dish to make and freeze or even store in the refrigerator to re-heat for later.

The thing about Mac and Cheese is, there is no right or wrong recipe for this. You can use any ingredients you have at home, any cheese to make it your own.

I had a small block of Pepper Jack cheese and some Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Also, I always have some Parmesan lying around, so I used it as well.

The best part about the recipe is the Panko Bread Crumbs mixed with Paprika and butter. The topping makes this perfect for adults 

Ingredients:

Macaroni/Pasta Shells - 1 cup

Butter - 1.5 tbsp

Flour - 2 tbsp

Milk - 3/4 cup

Grated Pepper Jack Cheese - 1/4 cup

Salt - to taste

Garlic Cloves - 3

Cream Cheese - 3 Tbsp

Parmesan Cheese - 2 Tbsp

Panko Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup 

Paprika - 1 Tsp

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Red Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp

Boil the Pasta shells according to the instructions and keep aside. Chop the garlic cloves.

In a pan, melt 1 tbsp butter and add the chili flakes and garlic. Fry till fragrant and add the flour. Whisk well and cook this golden brown and the raw smell is gone. Stir in the milk slowly into the flour and butter mixture. Whisk really well, in order to avoid any lumps. When the mixture is well incorporated, add the cheeses and pepper. Mix well, till the cheese melts and add the pasta. If the mixture is too thick, thin it with some milk. Pour into an  oven safe dish.

Melt 1/2 tbsp butter and add to the bread crumbs along with the paprika and mix. Top the pasta mixture with the bread crumbs. Bake in a pre-heated 425F oven for 10 to 15 min, until the bread crumbs are golden brown on top. Serve hot with some green vegetables for a complete meal.