Affogato - Vanilla Ice Cream With Espresso, Caramel Sauce And Salted Almonds

This classic Italian dessert is a coffee-based made with espresso and vanilla ice cream, gelato or sorbet. The word affogato means "drowned" in Italian.

This is an elegant, quick and easy, to make dessert. It taste divine and leaves a deliciously lingering taste of the salted caramel and almonds.
Ingredients
Eggless Vanilla Ice Cream - Homemade 
Espresso or strong coffee - chilled
Salted Caramel Sauce - Homemade Recipe below
Salted Almonds - sliced

Method

Scoop ice cream into dish
Pour espresso / strong coffee over ice cream
Drizzle caramel sauce over it and top with,  salted almonds and enjoy

Homemade Salted Caramel

Follow these easy steps to make  salted caramel sauce at home. Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, puddings, cookies, ice cream sundaes, cheesecake, glass desserts,  sweet breads ... endless... as you like it with !

This sauce should cool down completely before using it in any recipe. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Then you can heat it if required and use it.  This should be prepared a day before you want to use it.  This can be stored for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients
200 Grams Granulated Sugar
25 Grams Salted Butter
200 Ml Heavy cream
100 Ml Milk
3/4 Teaspoon Salt

Method

Mix the milk and cream together keep aside.

Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.

Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. 
Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes. A whisk helps if you find the butter is separating from the sugar.

Very slowly, drizzle in heavy cream mixture while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble or splutter when added.

Allow the mixture to boil for a minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
Remove from heat and stir in the  salt. Allow to cool down before using. The salted caramel will thicken once it cools down.

My Notes

 Make this caramel in advance. Make sure it is covered tightly and store it for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds in the microwave before using in a recipe.

Labels : Affogato, Italy, Sweets & Desserts, Ice Cream, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Homemade, Salted Caramel, Jams & Sauces

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party where bloggers come together to create recipes using the same ingredient. The host, this month it's Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas, picks an ingredient from the website The Nibble. If you're a blogger and would like to join in the fun, you can request to join on this Facebook page. Posting day is alway the first Wednesday of the month. If you'd like to see past recipes, you can follow our Pinterest board too.

Gooey Caramel Cake – - Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Easter Coconut Bird’s Egg Nests - Palatable Pastimes
Ooey Gooey Salted Caramel Cake - A Day in the Life on the Farm
Caramel Apple Granola - Hardly a Goddess
Caramel Apple Dip - Sew You Think You Can Cook
Banana Chia Pudding with Date Caramel - Caroline's Cooking
Affogato – Vanilla Ice Cream With Espresso, Caramel Sauce And Salted Almonds - Sneha's Recipes
Fa’ausi (Samoan Coconut Caramel Bread) - Tara's Multicultural Table

PRAWN MINI VOL-AU-VENTS IN TORNADO SAUCE #FISH FRIDAY FOODIE

This group is a brain child of Wendy ,  our host of the month, if you wish to join this group, kindly send her an email with your blog url at (wendyklik1517@gmail.com) and she will gladly add you to the group.  The theme of the month is appetizers or first courses that include fish and/or seafood.

I have made party appetizers, try them and your guest will enjoy them.  We enjoyed these, could not stop at one, so make more in case , your guest ask for another one.

Ingredients

12 Mini Vol-au-vents Shells - used ready shells

For the Prawn Marination
24 Prawns - cleaned and de-veined
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1 Teaspoon Lime juice

For the Tornado Sauce
100 ml Single Cream
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chilly flakes
5 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper powder
A pinch of salt
1/2 Teaspoon Tobassco sauce
2 Cubes Cream Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Sauce

Cheese slices or grated cheese as required

Method

Marinate the prawns with the given ingredients and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, saute the prawns in a pan till it turns  pink.  Keep aside.

In the meantime let's make the sauce
In a pan heat oil, fry onions in till brown.  add garlic fry again,  add spices and sauces fry again add cream mixed in water (diluted) stir continuously add, cheese and little water to make it saucy. Bring it to a just boil, add mustard paste stir take off flame.

To Assemble

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, turning both the elements on ( i.e. grill rod too).

Take each shell and core it with a spoon carefully so that you do not break right into the bottom ( this is to give  a little depth). 

Like wise prepare all the shells.

Arrange them in a lined tray, place a prawn at the bottom.

Pour the sauce  

Again place a prawn on top.

Cut the cheese slice to fit the shell, garnish with a red capsicum piece and place it in  the oven till the cheese melts say about 10  minutes or so.

Take them off and serve as appetizers to your guest ...enjoy.

My Notes: 

I have used cheese slices since it look neat when serving to your guest, can use grated cheese too.
Can serve this sauce with chips or pitta bread or chicken roulade.

Labels :  Appetizer, Fish, Fish Friday, Jams & Sauces, Starters, Tornado Sauce, International Cuisine, Puff Pastry

An InLinkz Link-up

Shrimps And Tagliatelle Pasta In Napoletana Sauce #FISH FRIDAY FOODIE

When the theme for this month was given by our host Caroline Williams - create some pasta dishes with fish and seafood. I was quite thrilled, always prepared pasta with poultry or veggies, never even thought of making it fish or seafood. Joining Fish Friday Foodie - is pushing me to venture into different cuisines with fish and seafood, I am loving it. Thanks Caroline for hosting this event and choosing such a wonderful theme.

This group is a brain child of Wendy , if you wish to join this group,  kindly send her an email, with your blog url at (wendyklik1517@gmail.com)   and she will gladly add you to the group.

Since my hubby is out on a trip for two days who hates the smell of fish and never touches it, by the way he is a pure vegetarian ... so you can understand.  Causally told  my daughter today  shrimp pasta for lunch, she had a very funny expression on her face. When she had it for lunch she looked at me, Ma this is tasting good, happy me..... Packed a container for my friend whose family also enjoyed this, sent me a message, yummy..

Here are the ingredients for the delicious dish...

Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients

To marinate the Shrimps

200 Grams Cleaned Shrimps
1 Teaspoon Lime juice
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika powder
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Other Ingredients

1 Medium onion - finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic - minced
1 Medium Carrot - peeled and finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
4 -5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
A few Basil leaves
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper powder
500 Grams Ripe Tomatoes - finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh Parsley - chopped
1 Teaspoon Sugar

1 Small cube Fish seasoning

Salt to taste

300 Grams Tagliatelle Pasta- home made

1 Small Capsicum - sliced for garnishing

Method

Marinate the shrimps with salt, pepper powder and paprika powder keep it in the refrigerator, till ready to use.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan, then add the garlic, onion, carrot,  saute till the garlic releases an aroma. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.  Now add the tomatoes, 2 cups  water, parsley, thyme, a few basil leaves and sugar. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Then add the tomato paste fish cube seasoning,  salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika. Let the sauce thicken, if the sauce becomes too thick, add ½–¾ cup extra water until the required consistency is reached. 

This the home made pasta drying... check the recipe here, used the same dough.

In the meantime, add the tagliatelle pasta to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until al dente . Drain thoroughly in a colander and oil it well with olive oil.  Keep aside.

In a another large pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil,  add the shrimps and capsicum toss on high flame till shrimps are done for about 4 - 5 minutes,  pour about two-thirds of the sauce,   add pasta and gently toss until combined.  Add some fresh thyme, basil and parsely, toss again .  Serve  hot with a spoon of sauce on it ... and enjoy....

Labels : Fish, Fish Friday, Italy, Pasta & Noodles, Jams & Sauces

An InLinkz Link-up

Aam ka Murabba / Raw Mango Chunda - India

According to Wikipedia - Murabba as savory jam or pickle prepared with raw mangoes, sugar and spices. It can be even compared to marmalade or jelly.  Use of grated mango or sliced mango and the type of spices used may vary region to region.

Raw mango is known as Mangai in Tamil and as Aam in Hindi and Aamba in Marathi.

For the marathon this week the theme is Condiment from Countries, wherein we have to choose condiments, sauces, spreads or seasonings - its week 3 - day 17.

Condiment - Pickle

Country - India 

Ingredients

4 Cups  Grated Raw Mango - packed
4 Cups Sugar  - I used unrefined sugar
1 Teaspoon Red chilli powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt 

Method
Wash, peel and grate raw mangoes.

Heat a thick bottom pan or non-stick pan; add grated mango, sugar and keep cooking in moderate heat by stirring in between.

When the mixture is reduced to half by volume, add the spices and keep cooking till the mixture thickens to a jam like consistency and all the moisture from the sugar and mangoes evaporates.

After cooling it fully, store in sterilized glass bottle. Store it in the fridge since I have not used any preservative

Labels :  Mango, Murabba, Jams & Sauces, Indian, Blogging Marathon

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

An InLinkz Link-up

Enchilada Sauce - Mexico

Enchilada is a traditional Mexican dish. The words comes from enchilar, which means add Chili peppers to something. The traditional enchilada sauce mainly consists of Chile peppers.

Homemade enchilada sauce is quick, delicious and easy to make, with all ingredients readily available in your pantry. 

For the marathon this week the theme is Condiment from Countries, wherein we have to choose condiments, sauces, spreads or seasonings - its week 3 - day 15.  

Let's go today's recipe Enchilada Sauce from Mexico.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Butter
3 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
3 Tomatoes 
1 Tablespoon Tomato sauce
1 Teaspoon Red chilly flakes
1 Teaspoon Oregano
2 Cubes Cheese - optional

Method

In a mixer jar add the tomatoes, garlic and puree to a fine paste .

In pan heat butter add the chilly flakes, tomato sauce and saute for a minute, then add the ground paste and cook till it thickens to a sauce like consistency . Remove in a bowl and cool. 

To make cheesy sauce  - add the cubes of cheesy when the sauce is hot, mix well .  The sauce is ready. 

Labels : Jams & Sauces, Enchilada, Mexico, Tomato, Homemade, Continental Cuisine, Blogging Marathon, Mexican

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

An InLinkz Link-up

Homemade Peanut Butter - How to make Peanut Butter at home

My daughter loves peanut butter. This is made very often in my house. As soon as the container is empty it has to be refilled. I too started liking and eating is on  my toast. Peanut butter is easy and inexpensive to make at home. If you have roasted unsalted peanuts you can make this in minutes. Free of preservatives and so delicious. Try it and you too will start loving peanut butter.


Ingredients
1 Cup Roasted Peanuts - skinless
1.1/2 to 2 Tablespoons of Groundnut oil
A teaspoon Honey
A pinch of Salt

Method


Place the peanuts, salt and honey into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the lid back on and continue to process while slowly drizzling in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Place the peanut butter in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.



Labels : Peanuts, Blogging Marathon, Jams & Sauces

Pizza Sauce and Seasoning - How to make pizza sauce and pizza seasoning at home

Pizza Sauce
Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Onion - finely chopped
3 Capsicums - chopped finely
4 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
6 Tomatoes - skinned and pureed
3 Tomatoes - skinned and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Basil leaves - finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Pizza seasonings

Method

Heat oil add the chopped onion till translucent, then add the garlic and saute again for a minute.  Add bell pepper and saute for few minutes.  Add chopped tomato, tomato puree, salt, pinch of sugar and cook till soft and it thickens (till all juices evaporate).  Add pepper powder and pizza seasoning and let it continue to cook for a few minutes till the aroma emits.  Cool and store in refrigerator.

Pizza Seasoning

Ingredients 
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Black pepper - freshly crushed
1 Teaspoons Dried Basil leaves
1 Teaspoons Dried oregano
2 Teaspoons Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
¼ Teaspoon Chilly flakes

Method

Mix and crush everything in a motar and pestal and  the seasoning is ready.  Store it in the  bottle and use as required.

This is a copy cat domino's  pizza seasoning that you get in sachets.

Labels :  Pizzas, Jams & Sauces, Masalas

Homemade Apple Sauce

In this Diwali vacation I had been to Himachal Pradesh for a holiday. In Himachal Pradesh one will find variety of apples and roasted ground nuts being sold at every junction and corner.   

Whenever we went sightseeing these two items would be a must in our bag. Here I found the golden apple so sweet and grainy could not resist picking up a few kilos back home. Some went in distribution to neighbours and friends. Still there was basket full remaining. I always wanted to make apple sauce, at last went ahead and prepared them from these apples. So here is the recipe very simple and hassle free.
This recipe is updated on May 14, 2021. For the update version I have ground the cinnamon to powder with a tablespoon of sugar.

Ingredients 

3 - 4 Medium Apples
1 Tablespoon  Sugar - optional
½ Cup Water
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder

Method  

Peel and chop the apple to small pieces. 

In pan place the apples and pour the water, keep it on medium flame, when it comes to a boil cover with a foil and cook it for 20 minutes on slow flame stirring in between till dry.  

When the water dries, switch off the flame taste add if ground cinnamon sugar and stir. Let is cool completely then blend it in a blender. Fill it in a airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for 2 -3 days. If you want it to last longer store in freezer it will last for months. 

Homemade Apple Sauce is ready. 

This goes well with any bread.  

Labels: Jams & Sauces, Apple, Vegan, Gluten free, Homemade, International Cuisine

Basil Pesto Sauce - How to make homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

The store purchased sauces contain preservatives, but this is without any preservatives, can still last a month in the freezer. This is also a quick and easy pesto to make. A great change from red sauce. Traditionally pesto sauce is made with pine nuts but since pine nuts are not easily available here and cost 6 times more than cashew nuts.  I used cashew nuts to make the same.
Ingredients
5 cloves garlic
2 Cups Fresh Basil leaves
3 Tablespoons Cashew nuts
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese grated
A dash salt and pepper

Method
Add garlic to the food processor and mince. Next, add the basil leaves, nuts, Parmesan cheese, a dash of salt and pepper and while the processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube until all the ingredients are pureed. Enjoy  this fresh basil pesto sauce, on pasta, sandwiches, etc.

Notes :

To preserve the colour add olive oil a inch above the pesto sauce before storing.

If you do not have Parmesan cheese use any other cheese that is easily available.  

Labels : Jams & Sauces, Basil, Continental Cuisine, Healthy