**Quiche Lorraine**

 

Quiche is a speciality from the French cuisine; the word quiche is taken from Kichel, which means cake. Originally it is made with bread dough and a filling with the rests of the previous day

It is made with a very crispy short crust pastry, baked with a filling of eggs cream and milk.

 

It was said that this was the main dish on Mondays in many families, either as a starter or as the main meal, they used the rests in this creative way making it a special treat for the family, later on cheese became the main ingredient of Quiche and today we see that there are many many varieties of Quiche, we can make it with any vegetable, meat fish or chicken, solely your own choice

 

I made mines with Spinach/Minced meat/Sheep’s Cheese/Gouda cheese/Parmesan Cheese

This I can tell you that it is a calorie shock, but well we don’t make it daily and once in a while it is totally recommended :)

If all the preps are made before hand, it is really fast to make, It is ideal to make it a day before too and just warm it the other day, or if kept in room temperature, it tastes great.

 

I have no accurate ingredients for it, I just play around adding this and that, a little here a little there but I can surely write a slight outline so it is easy for you all : )

 

And yes Nutmeg is an important part of the Quiche, so do use that as mentioned.

 

The pastry crust is the same I make for my cheese cake, of course without sugar : )

I prepared the filling in advance to save myself some time.

Okay so you take the following to make the short crust pastry, I made it in a large baking tray so I had doubled my ingredients of the 28cm round baking form; you can always take the half ingredients and try for the start.

These ingredients are for a universal oven baking tray we all have.

 

For the short crust pastry:

500 grams flour

250+1 tbs cold but soft butter

½ tsp salt

3-4 tbs sour cream

Cold if needed

50 gram parmesan cheese for the base

 

-cut the butter in cubes in the bowl,, sprinkle the flour and salt and mix all with both hands

-the dough will seem very crumbly, so instead of adding tons of water, I mix in sour cream or cream Fraiche to smoothen the dough.

-just knead till it takes a really smooth structure.

-I did not give it a rest time and I immediately spread it in the tray, first with a rolling pin then with my palms, all set and fixed in the tray : )

-prick the whole spread pastry crust with a fork, this keeps the dough even and it will not fluff up at different points

-spread the parmesan cheese all over

 

Now we come to the filling of it. You can use anything you like

 I made spinach and minced meat, I cooked both separately and then mixed both together

Ingredients we need are as following, I am dividing the stages so you can follow all through the pics too.

For the liquid filling you need:

2 Eggs

200 gram cup of cream Fraiche

¼ tsp grated nutmeg powder

¼ tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste (not too much as cheese is also salted)

For the topping:

250 gram Cherry tomatoes in halves

100 gram sheep’s goat (crumbled

100 gram Gouda cheese fresh grated

 

600gram frozen spinach leaves

2 big onions

2-3 tbs of olive oil

Salt, red chili to taste

¼ grated nutmeg powder

This should not be like our normal curry, so be careful with the spices, it is more of a cold snack and won’t taste if too spicy!

-thaw the spinach
( just ignore the different script Color as it is not ready to Change, no matter what i do :) )

-heat the oil and fry the onion just transparent and add the spinach

-stir stir well, add the nutmeg powder, salt and chili powder, the spinach will shoot till the water is evaporated.

-stir well till it is really dry

 

 Prepare the minced meat:

400 gram minced meat, I always use half half (beef/lamb)

2 big onions

2-4 tbs oil

1tsp GG paste (ginger/garlic)

Spices to taste

Salt

Red chili flakes

Cumin powder

Garam masala

 

-heat oil, fry in the sliced onions light pinkish

-add the minced meat and fry it for a while till it turns a bit light in color

-add the GG paste and stir

-add the spices and keep cooking, I never add water to the minced meat, it actually cooks so fast with an open lid and only stirring.

 

You will feel that there are not many spices in it, no tomatoes, and no tomato paste neither

turmeric

We skip this all to stick to the light taste

Now turn over the minced meat into the spinach and mix all gently

 

So it’s time to prepare our Quiche :)

-We have the pastry crust ready in the tray spread with parmesan cheese

-now spread the spinach/minced meat mixture on it

-crumble the sheep’s goat all over

-in a bowl, beat the eggs, cream Fraiche with sprinkling nutmeg, salt black pepper on  it

-beat well into a smooth liquid bulk

 

Now pour this mixture slowly all over the baking tray.

 -place the halves of the tomatoes, (it’s optional, you can omit if you don’t like them)

-grate the Gouda directly onto the tray evenly

 

 

 It’s ready to go in the oven, bake in a preheated oven on 180°C for around 35 minutes

Keep a check, as if it is baked too long the egg mixture might turn dark brown and spoil the lovely look

You’ll see it’s ready when the color is slightly gold brown

Take out the tray and let it rest, at least 20 minutes!

If you try to cut it while it is still hot, the pieces may break due to the hot creamy mixture  in it

So it is important to give it a resting time, the cream settles down and you can cut out really smooth pieces

It tastes really very very crispy and very delish.

The short crust pastry is so melt in mouth yet crispy, and it was the still very yummy the second day .

Do try, you’ll love it : )

 

 

Dedication for all "Pisces",(Fische)dear to my heart and soul :D

Many Happy Returns of he Day to our dearest dearest Friends, Family and Soul mate :)

Congratulations and Celebrations to  all "Fische"

 

A couple who is Made for eachother!

 

Her love for Spanish,His,for Her :)

 

 

 

 

 

I made the Rafaello cake, baked my sponge cake for it,and did the layering with crushed Rafaellos and condenced milk.

Deco is with the Butter cream.

 

 

 

 

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAREST SUSANNE**

This post is dedicated to my Best friend who is very dear to my heart and soul.

My friend  my soul mate my mentor my campanion my buddy and my sister :)

 Just uploading few pictures of her cake,so that today's date is on record and will upload the recipe as soon as i get some free time :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAREST :D

Keep glowing and stay blessed all your life through!

 

 

Okay the icing started to melt a bit ,but still tasted well :)

 

 

And the Experiment of the colorful flames was really cool, nä

Sooji ki Qatliyaan *Semolina Diamonds/Squares*

                                                          (Click on the Image for a larger view)

Winter brings lots of cravings for really yummy sweet things, like Cookies, Chcolates Desi  Halway, Panjeeri and and and.
Mama darling used to make Chick-pea Pieces ( Besan ke Tukray) and Sooji ki Qatliyaan (Semolina Squares/diamonds) every winter.

The jars were always filled with these very delish sweet meats, and we used to gobble them up with every round in the kitchen :)

 

 

Abbajan loved Sooji ki Qatliyaan so these were made quite often ,to our benefit of course :)

 

I remembered the way Mom used to make but was forgetting some steps when she added sugar  to the mixture as it leaves a bit water too.

 

I looked upon some sites in Google, nearly all had the same method, with different measurements of course, to their own quantity they were making,

I add extra raisins as that gives a very nice taste.

 

I liked the step in a recipe where they  added dry milk powder in it, and made syrup out of the sugar. So I have taken these two tips from the net, rest is how I had in mind.

Though now I will not make sugar syrup next time because the crunchy taste comes with the sugar, the way Mom always did. A try was worth, it turned really nice, but I’d like the crunch next time, which is called Karrak and tight pieces :)

 

I add desiccated coconut too, but here I did not, as they were a gift for a friend,
who avoids coconut. Many add food color to it, now that’s really not on, it’s no halwa, it’s dry sweet snack :)

So this is how you make them:

I use a measuring cup, so when I mention cup, it’s no tea cup!

½ cup Ghee(clarified butter)

120 gr Semolina (Coarse Sooji)

150gr sugar

1 ½   cup water

120 gr dry milk powder

1 cup coarse crushed almonds

2 tbs of dry raisins

1 tbs of cardamom seeds

½ tsp of cardamom powder

 

 

 

Sugar syrup:

Mix the sugar-water-cardamom powder and cook till it gets a bit thicker that you can see two threads forming between your thumb and index finger, let aside to cool

I made a bit more syrup in case I needed  more after adding coconut and almonds it’s better to have it at hand.

 

-heat the ghee in a heavy broad skillet

-add the cardamom seeds to crackle

.add the raisins, to puff up

-now add the semolina and stir evenly so it does not burn at any end

-as it turns a bit light brownish, add the syrup and mix fast to avoid any lumps

-now sprinkle the powder, almonds and the coconut and mix fast , it will turn hard but try not to dry all up, as later the pieces can become hard, so we need to leave some moisture in it.

-grease a flat tray or a platter and turn all over onto it, spread with the help of a spatula and take care NOT to flatten too thin!

This is important, as too thin pieces will dry out soon as the sugar syrup hardens with the time.

A bit thicker pieces will stay chewy.

You can see the difference below:

 

 

I cut almonds in halves and just inserted on the top , you can sprinkle crushed pistachios of almonds to your wish : )

Just let it stay for 5 minutes, then cut pieces in diamonds or squares.

 

They are actually ready to be split apart,

 my hubby tested they while they were still warm and said,

Heavenly indeed and another three were gone, till I had to hide them : )

This was actually the height of praise I got, me happy :D

Keep these in an air-tight box, as I said they get a bit harder with the time, that is, IF you have any rest left :P

Enjoy making  them and do share your experience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH A PIECE OF PIZZA :D

First of all wishing you all a very BLESSED NEW YEAR; may it bring peace all around the world and may it bring joy and happiness to you and your families. Ameen

 

 

 

It's quite long since we met on this Plattform is'nt it :) I have just been away in this and that, had been cooking but some how i had lost that kick of taking pictures and uploading.

The most had Task for me was to sit still and write the recipies, so i just got lazy and just ignored my camera and concentrated on eating what i cooked  :D

 

I was away for a while on vacation enjoying the time of my life, meeting my loved ones and breathing the air of my Country, attending typical Eastern wedding, eating the yummiest food ever and shopping the prettiest dresses :D

 

Hope you all have been good at your ends. Do keep dropping by to check off and on and give me your feedbacks, i do miss that :I

 

(Click on the Image for a large view)

 

It were ages since i baked a Pizza, have cut down on al funky food but at times the craving is really strong and today was one of those days, so i thought well why not :)

 

 

 

It's extreme cold now a days and we all are freezing, so i find excuses to switch on the oven as it's so cozy in the kitchen then :)

 

 

 

The recipe of Pizza is surely not new to many but there are some who are still experiencing or are entering the cooking world, so hope this can be helpful

 

I had learned this recipe from a true Italian Pizza baker, and have been making this since many years now and it’s a perfect dough and turns out really good each time Allhamdolillah!

 

 

 

Now a day we get to watch and read really many many different ways but i actually like to stick to my very old recipe, this is when i started trying out my luck on fast food :)

 

 

 

I remember he gave me a tip which was really not at all known or common and i was so excited to have baked it that way with the bestest result,.and since then it is drilled in my brain.

 

Very easy, somple without any science formulas ;)

 

 

 

Here you go:

 

Italians Pizza Dough:

200 gr plain flour
10gr fresh yeast
½ tsp sugar
½ cup like warm milk
½ tsp salt
3 tbs olive oil

make a deep well in the flour and put in the crumbled fresh yeast, sugar, and milk and leave it for 15 minutes to let it puff up.
Now add the olive oil and mix it together with the puffed dough.

“NOW THE TIP”: FROM THE ITALIAN CHEF COOK

 

 Roll it thin out and lay it on a round baking tray, apply the pizza sauce and blobs of cheese and let it puff another 20 minutes.
Now you can prepare the topping with whatever you wish to salaami, tuna fish,veg, cheese,onion paprika maize,broccoli,Chili.….and of course not to forget lotssssssssaaaaa Cheeeeeezzzz!

Bake it at 200° (356°F) for 20 minutes.

 

 You can take the double ratio if you want to make it for a larger gathering,as this here is for a 28 cm round Pizza, i baked in a large tray so i took the double of all

 

 

 

My personal tip:
Pizza’s made from fresh yeast taste the best and original, as the ones with baking powder have a salty and pungent taste. I just make it when I have really no yeast at home or a quickie : )
My observation, may be you all have other experiences so do share.

 

 

 

Enjoy baking!

Banana/Choc/Dates/Nuts Cookies

One smart thing i have learnt over the years, the best way to avoid the “Not amused” looks of the head crown as the bananas turn black lolz, is to bake them, cook them, fry them or hide them hehehe.

But I usually bake them as they are the ideal ones to be mashed and baked

 

But honestly I really wonder sometimes why are only the bananas left over in the fruit tray and it’s always the last 2/3 and then they stay in the line of fire lolzzz

I was noticing the last 2 bananas turn brown then darker and darker so I planned to bake Cookies

 

 

So this time I have added much more in it and they turned out really very delish.

I added, dates, walnuts, almonds, oats and chocolate

I had no simple bake chocolate at home, but had the bar with cranberry and grapes so I cut them in small pieces and tucked them on the cookies, they tasted so heavenly yummz

They are baked so soft and fluffy, full with the banana flavor and the crunch of all the nuts

 

 

 

Simple and quick and easy to make, very practical as a take away snack on way to work : )

 

 

This is what you need;

3 extra ripe bananas (mashed)

1 cup AP flour

¼ cup organic honey

1 large egg

½ cup soft butter

½ tsp of soda bicarbonate

1-2 tsp organic honey

½ cup of Walnuts and Almonds mixed

¾ cup of oats

½ cup pitted and chopped dates

¼ bar of chocolate, chopped in squares

 

 

 

 

 

Sift the flour and Soda in a bowl

Mash the bananas

Beat the butterand suga fluffy

Add in the flour and mix gently

 

 

sprinkle all nuts and the choclate and mix

(You can add more nuts of your choice like Hazel nuts Pecan nuts and and and …I added cranberries and dry raisins last time; they give a very chewy taste)

 

Fold in the mash bananas and mix all well

Drop the batter on a greased tray keeping a 2cm distance in each cookie

 

 

-keep an eye as they should not burn, the banana may turn darker very fast, we just need to bake the flour and 20 minutes are totally perfect

-once they are done, shift them onto the cooling wire with the help of a spatula

 

 

-they stay soft and eatable till 4-5 days, you can keep them in the fridge, or good  packed, to give away before you  eat them all : )

Do try them, a perfect snack for your tea time as well.

You can sprinkle castor sugar once they are out of the oven, I did not as I added Honey and the bananas were sweet too.

 

 

Enjoy the “coming winter” baking time :)