Quick Croissant with chocolate filling

I love making everything from scratch, but I need to confess I have store bought dough  hidden in the fridge for those days I'm out of time and kids are starving.... Not that it happens often, but I have days like this and when it happens I am so  thankful for Pillsbury crescent roll packages I have!

They are so good for a quick fix snack.

I use them the most in this way:

1 pkg Pillsbury crescent roll

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

oil for the baking shit

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Open the package and unroll the dough.

Pull apart the pre cut triangles and place some of the chocolate chips on the wider side.

Roll the dough towards the smaller part of the triangle while pressing the sides to avoid the melted chocolate to come out during baking.

Fold the ready roll from both side slightly to form a crescent shape. 

Arrange in the oiled baking sheet or dish and bake for 12 to 15 mins ( kids and I like them well baked and light brown on top, so I bake them for 15 mins :) )

Cool them down for about 5 mins and Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

For the past 6-7 years we have been making our own pancakes from scratch, not the boxed mix store version. They surely taste better and healthier.
Kids reached to a point where they would taste a restaurant pancakes and ask,"What is this?".
You can add fresh fruits to it, top them with honey and nuts or maple syrup and enjoy a healthy breakfast :)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 egg

Optional:
blueberries, sliced strawberries or bananas.

Directions:

In a bowl beat the egg, add milk, whisk together and combine with flour and baking powder. Add fruits here if using some ( around 1/2 to 2/3 cup)
Preheat the pan  you will use for the pancakes and pour some of the batter to a round shape. Cook the pancakes on a low to medium heat to a point you see small holes forming on it.. Flip the pancake and cook for a few mins on the other side as well. Be careful not to burn them. They should be light brown in color.
Transfer to a dish and top with fresh sliced fruits and/or syrup, honey, jam.
We all like ours with honey, second options is strawberry jam and last maple syrup... this is just us and our taste :). You choose yours!
Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant and Yogurth Dip

 I made this dip a handful of times and I could say I am surprised every time when I see the bowl liked to perfection from my kids. If they eat it the food it's good!
I combined a few recipes I remember from my childhood to create this recipe and I think it's worth trying with your families and friends.
So here is the recipes:

Ingredients:

1 big eggplant
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 Tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt
parsley or cilantro to decorate

Direction:

Roast  the eggplant. Peel the skin off and chop it finely.
Combine the yogurt, salt, paprika, tahini, oil, ginger-garlic paste and chopped eggplant. Mix well. and adjust salt.
If you like parsley or cilantro you can chop and add some to the dip. You can just use the herbs to decorate the dip only.

Enjoy!

Home made buiscits

Once you try this recipe you wont go back to the prepacked biscuits any more! It takes minutes to make this ones and they are so soft and yummy out of the oven....
Made a dozen last night at 6PM, my little princes just had to have them, and ate 3 of them after diner ;). think about tummy capacity of a 4 year old...
They can be topped with garlic, cheese, herbs - use your imagination here!
I love them with sesame seeds or garlic and mozzarella cheese ;), Kids like them plain. How about you?

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
7 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 435F.
Grease baking pan.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the cold and sliced butter to the flour mix and place them in a food processor for 3-4  mins, In case you don't have food processor get a fork and start pressing the butter and mixing it with the flour and the same time. It will take some time to combine them both, but you will get there, You can also use the spiral whiskers from your mixer, just be careful the flour will be spread all over your kitchen.

Once this is done add the buttermilk and make a soft dough.  Knit it for about 5 mins.

form a roll around 3 '' thick that you will cut into 12 pieces.

Place each piece in the baking pan and brush with some oil. Here you can top the biscuits with cheese, seeds, garlic if you want.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15 min or until golden on top.
TIPS:
If you prefer you can mix in some cheese or herbs in the dough right before forming a roll and cutting it.

Enjoy!

Dry chicken with whole spices

This is a recipe I made few times based on what whole spices I found in my cabinet and it turned out great. I am not sure if there is a original recipe like this and what its called, but here it is with my own name and ingredients:

Ingredients:

3 chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 big onion, sliced
1 Table spoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
3 cloves
3-4 black peppers
2 teaspoon garam masala
salt to taste
oil to cook
chopped cilantro to garnish - optional

Method:

Heat 2-3 table spoons oil. Add cumin, cardamom , cloves, peppers and let them cook for 2-3 mins.
Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a few more mins and add the onions. Cook until onions softened and change color to yellow.

Here add garam masala and chicken. Cook on a low heat until chicken is ready. Adjust the salt according to your taste.

The dish should be without any gravy and dry.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or rotis.

I do have some panir salad  on the picture, but that recipe will be in a different post coming soon :)
Enjoy!

Chicken Handi

This recipe was modified by me according to a few variations I heard or saw somewhere on the net years ago.... It' easy to put together and with adjustment to the chilies you use is kid and adults favorite!! My "no spicy food eating" son liked his plate last time I made this :), this is proof to me this dish is delicious!!!

Ingredients:

1 big whole chicken or 4 big chicken breasts.
2 Tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
4 tomatoes
2 onions
10 small green chilies or 4-5 if they are longer or thicker
2 tablespoons red chili powder
2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Chinese salt ( optional)
6 Tablespoon yogurt
3 Tablespoons dry methi (fenugreek leaves)
1/2 cup cream
1  Tablespoon ground black paper
1 table spoon Garam masala
oil for cooking


Directions:

Wash and cut the whole chicken or chicken pieces ( from a chicken breast)
Heat 4-5 table spoons oil and add the ginger-garlic paste, fry for about 2-3 mins and add the chicken to it. Cook together on a low heat for additional 10 mins. (he bigger the pan the easier is to cook evenly all chicken pieces.)
Meanwhile wash and grind together onions, tomatoes and green chilies to a paste, use around 1/2 cup water to make it easier to blend all ingredients.
Transfer the chicken with its juice to a dish/container or anything you have handy and keep aside.
In the same pot add 4-5 spoons oil and cumin seeds. Wait for a few mins until the cumin seeds release a smell and add carefully the onions -tomatoes- chill paste. Mix well and let it cook until the oil is separating from the paste ( 15-20 mins or so). Now add the chicken with its stock, red chili powder and Chinese salt if you are using. Cook on a low heat for a while (aprox 15 mins) and keep the grave thin. Beat the yogurt before adding to the gravy to prevent curdling and mix in the fenugreek leaves (methi). Pour this to the chicken and mix well. Cook on a low heat until the chicken is ready. Add salt, black pepper  cream, garam masala. Give it a boil and its ready to serve.
Serve with rice or any Indian roti.
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TIPS: if you are using chicken breast pieces the chicken will cook faster than the bone chicken. In that case cook the chicken in the beginning for 6-7 mins just until it changes its color.
This dish will come spicy with the mentioned ingredients!!! If you want it mild reduce the green chilies to a half or just use 2 of them :).
Top the dish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.
Enjoy!

Strawberry Bundt Cake

The good thing about this cake is you can use any type of fruits you have handy or you like ( peaches, apricots, plums, raspberries, pears etc.)

I serve it dusted with confectioner sugar, but if you like and have the time can use cream cheese frosting to top it with.
The options are endless here and that's why i like recipes like this :).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup ground almonds
1 fresh strawberries

1/4 cup confectioners sugar to decorate the cake

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F/160C. Grease  a bundt cake pan.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside. Washed and slice the strawberries.
Beat well the softened butter and sugar until well combined and cream like. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well and add the flour with baking powder and the almond extract. Stir in the ground almonds and the strawberries.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 mins, or until risen and golden brown,
Let cool in the pan for 10 mins, then turn out carefully onto a wire rack to complete the cooling.
Take a confectioner sugar and dust over the cake.

Enjoy!