Easter extravaganza

A treat for Sunday Special Easter Meal

 

 

 

INTIMATE BOWL OF HAPPINESS
(Roasted red capsicum and herbed tomato soup)

 

Ingredients
2 medium sized red capsicum
200 g red ripe tomatoes
4-5 garlic cloves
1 small chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp maida
500 ml veg stock/ water
Basil leaves/ mixed herbs to taste
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper to taste
1 tbsp cream
Micro greens/ parsley for garnishing
If non-veg, use bacon with garlic in the start or use two chopped chicken sausages/ salami.

Method
Prepare all the ingredients for the soup. Roast the red capsicums and tomatoes in an oven on a tray with few cloves of garlic little olive oil for 20 minutes until a little charred on the skin. Remove and pulverise the mixture in a grinder jar. Heat oil and butter add little maida. Saute for 10 seconds, add garlic, onions and saute until pink. Add bacon/sausages here at this stage if desired. Add in the puree mixture and bring to a boil, adjust texture with stock and add salt and pepper to taste, bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, add herbs, cream and mix well, serve hot.

 

NOSTALGIC BITES ON A CRUST
(Mini bruschettas/ canapes with ham, cheese, scrambled eggs]

 

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 small chopped onion
2-3 eggs
1-2 ham slices
¼ cup grated cheese
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp peanut butter
Mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste
5- 8 French bread slices/ sliced bread

Method
Prepare the slices of bread apply little olive oil or butter and toast them, keep aside. Heat oil and butter in a pan saute garlic, onion, add in the eggs scramble them, add seasonings, herbs, chopped ham and cheese add little milk if needed for moisture and mix well. Cook the mixture for two-three minutes and keep aside. Apply mix of peanut butter and ketchup on the toasted pieces of bread and top with the prepared mix, garnish appropriately and serve immediately as a starter course.

 

CHICKEN TORIDANGO
(Pan-fried boneless chicken fillets steeped in a creamy mushroom sauce with garden veggies)

 

Ingredients
400 g boneless chicken breast fillets
For marination
2 tbsp oil + salt + pepper + ½ tsp mustard paste + 2 tbsp white wine + ½ tsp mixed herbs. Mix well and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
For mushroom cream sauce
1 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
2 tsp maida
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 small chopped onion
1 cup fresh cream
¼  cup milk
2-3 tbsp cheese
1 tbsp white wine
1 cup sliced fresh button mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp mixed herbs or fresh thyme/rosemary
1 cup chicken stock/ water
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
For serving with chicken
Blanched asparagus tossed in butter, cubes of capsicums tossed in olive oil and garlic/assorted potato preparations like mashed potatoes can go along as well with a portion of garlic bread.
Method
Prepare the chicken, marinate and keep aside, heat oil and butter in a pan, saute the chicken fillets in the hot pan for one minute of each side and keep aside. To prepare the sauce, heat oil and butter add flour and saute 15 seconds, add in the garlic and onions and saute, add in sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, herbs and cook for one minute. Add in little stock/water, cream or white sauce and mix well, add in the chicken pieces, simmer and cook for 8-10 mins covered on low flame. Add cheese and mix well, portion out the dish with the colorful side accompaniments as per choice and serve hot garnished with parsley.

 

ON A SWEET NOTE
(Classic bread pudding baked and served warm with chocolate sauce)

 

Ingredients
4-5 bread slices/ leftover bread rolls etc
2 tbsp butter
Sugar to taste white grain sugar or brown sugar.
2 cups vanilla flavoured custard
2 tbsp fresh cream
2 tbsp chopped dates/ prunes/ apricots
5-6 sliced fresh strawberries
2 tbsp chopped cashews and raisins
White chocolate/dark chocolate sauce to serve

Method
Prepare the ingredients for the dessert. Grease a baking dish with butter place the pieces of bread into the dish, top with the warm prepared vanilla custard, add in the nuts etc and keep layering the dessert. Top with some more butter and brown sugar or grain sugar, add in the nuts/cherries as well and allow to bake in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 12-15 minutes until surface is light browned. Remove and serve in plates top with chocolate sauce and freshly sliced fruits.

 

NUTTY AFFAIR
(Flavourful dessert with rum and raisin soaked brownies/ sponge bound together with goodness)

 

Ingredients
300 g chocolate brownies/ sponge cake
100 ml chocolate sauce
100 ml condensed milk
2 tbsp chopped almonds/ cashews/ pista
1 tsp butter
150 g coarsely crushed dry fruit chikki/ praline
1 sheet butter paper to place the balls

Method
Prepare the ingredients for the sweet dessert. In a mixing bowl combine together the crumbles of brownies/cake add in the rum and chopped raisins, nuts, bind it with little condensed milk and chocolate sauce and bring it all together. Grease the hands and fingers, divide into lemon sized balls and coat with melted chocolate and crushed praline and set on a butter paper sheet in the fridge for 20 minutes. Remove and set them on a serving platter and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and warm white chocolate sauce.