Love and Calories!!

"Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns,      One a penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns,          Give them to your daughters, Give them to your sons                   One a penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns,                          Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns!!" Remember this nursery rhyme? Oh sure you do!! And how I wished in my school days, that a real Hot Cross Bun vendor should come knocking on my door and I run with a penny or two in hand to buy those delicious looking Hot soft buns...mmmm!! Then the realization strikes, that these rhymes cannot apply in India, girl! You can only run with a 50 paisa to get a delicious Vada pav or a samosa, not Hot Cross Buns!! And how I used to envy the children living in the British land. But only after coming here I knew that these were just a thing in the past. There are no Hot Cross Bun Ve...

Its already September and the evenings here are turning chillier & chillier. That's when you think of making a  Chicken Pie, the most comforting English food I have ever tasted.. When you crush those  golden crispy puffed pastry top  with your spoon  to get that delicious mouthful of piping  hot  creamy chicken on a chilly night, you know you are going to settle down in your couch for the next couple of hours.  Last Wednesday, I enjoyed my "Pie night" alone as Arun had a party to attend that night. I cooked up my pie in a jiffy, brought my throw from the bedroom, switched on the TV and relaxed on the couch until the door bell rang at 11. I really really enjoyed some "Me" time that night!! :) So you try making this chicken pie & see how comforting it is to sit back, relax and have a pot pie once in a while. And don't worry about the pastry, I used the frozen sheets to make my pie. You can cheat sometimes, you know!! Ingredients: 50 gm...

Not a very good looking fine dining dish this is, but it is an absolutely delicious grub if you are a seafood fan.  This typical British food is very filling, very creamy and has all the strong flavours going through it. You either love it or hate it but you can't ignore it. :) Ingredients: 200 gm ready cut fish pie mix from any super store (which includes cut pink salmon, cod & smoked haddock) or buy a fillet each of salmon, cod & smoked haddock separately from the fish monger.  5-6 pieces of prawns (optional) 1 egg (hard boiled) 3 large potatoes (I used 1 &1/2 jacket potatoes) 2 cups milk + 4 tbsp milk 1 tbsp plain flour (sifted) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp ground black pepper 50 gm butter + 2 tbsp butter grated cheddar cheese (optional) salt to season    Method: Heat 2 cups of milk in a saucepan & put the bay leaf in it. Also add the cut fish pieces along with the prawns and poach in milk for 4-5 minutes.  Remove the f...

The moment I returned from my visit to the " Cheddar " village last month, I wanted to make a yummy bake with the Cheddar Cheese bought from the village. As I had already posted a Tuna Pasta Bake in my blog, I wanted to make a quick Gratin dish. There was one more reason to make a Gratin because I wanted to use my "Le Creuset oven cookware" which was lying in my Kitchen shelves for about 2 months now. Now you must be thinking, look at her flaunting things what she has got but NO..This mini casserole set was given to me by my best friend Shakthi during my last visit to her place. And that was very sweet of her, so I wanted to show her that I am indeed using these Casseroles and not kept to let the dust settle on them. :) Not promoting any brand over here but I recommend Le Creuset if you want to buy a good quality Oven Cookware. Now some good things about the Gratin, I made a "Traditional English Cheddar Cauliflower Cheese Gratin". There are many other n...

"To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day". - W Somerset Maugham "Full English" or "Traditional English" or "Farmhouse Breakfast" or "Fry-Up" are a few of the names given to this sumptuous, heavy, filling & satisfied breakfast of the Great Britain. This is the most popular breakfast of the UK just like the American breakfast. Like Pancakes in an American breakfast, over here its bacon & eggs. A Full English Breakfast consists of many dishes put together in just a plate & is served in almost all the pubs throughout the day. One can very well differentiate it with any other Continental Breakfast. A typical "Full English" consists of bacon, poached or fried eggs, fried tomatoes & mushrooms, toast, sausages, baked beans & hash browns. But as you go to different areas in the UK certain items in the plate are either included or removed from it. Some people include black pudding, m...

For the past one week, I was not interested in doing anything. No cooking, No blogging, No nothing. Mood swings in a lady can be better understood only by another lady, so am not going into detail. My mind and body went into stealth mode. Am slowly coming out of it. That is why I didn't explore any of my fellow bloggers recipes too, hence I apologize for not visiting your blogs & giving my valued comments .;) I am just putting up a basic version of Mashed potatoes, which I had made a couple of months ago, to have it with my Caribbean Chicken . Mostly every one knows how to make this simple Mash but this recipe is for those who are new to cooking and would want to know the basic recipes. Mashed Potatoes can be a great accompaniment with a good Roast Chicken. Its a delightful experience on its own. Ok, Am going back to my Stealth mode again.....Hope to be back pretty soon!!. Ingredients: 4-5 big floury potatoes (preferably maris piper) 125 ml milk 25 g butter salt & pepper t...

Now before you read the recipe, let me tell you, if you are a fitness freak, this is not for you. Extremely tasty but not healthy at all. Its the most popular pub dish of England, "Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas". Fish is healthy but not when it is deep fried in a beery batter. Chips is not at all fine when you know that it is double fried in this recipe. Peas...well yeah....whatever!! ;) But let me tell you, you will just love it if you make it. The golden crispiness of the fish & chips will make you forget the world for a moment. One need not waste time in making the fish, chips & the mushy peas at home cos you can buy it all instant outside, but isn't it good to know what goes in each of your favourite dish?? Don't mind the calories....u can run for an hour long more after having this one!! Ingredients: 2 chunky pieces of boneless cod or haddock or halibut fillets, preferably skinned 125 ml of any beer (heineken, budweiser or any other) 100 gm self raisin...

A "Sunday Roast" is a typical traditional English afternoon meal which is served on a Sunday, where the whole family get-together, have a wholesome meal, drink and relax. A Sunday Roast usually includes roasted meat, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy. Our English friends often invite us for their Sunday Roast and I look forward to it every time. I love the English ways of cooking and preparations put, to have that sumptuous meal. Roasted Potatoes, is one of the accompaniments in a Sunday Roast. And I love the crispiness of it outside and the softness inside. It goes with any meat dishes and is a popular dish served in the English pubs as well. Just try it at your very own kitchen, taste it and you will know why!! And I just now realized...its Potato time again!! :) :) Ingredients: 4 big potatoes (peeled and cubed) 3 tbsp oil 1 tbsp of semolina (sooji/rawa) 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or ordinary vinegar) 6 cloves of garlic (skins on) 2 tsp olive oil 1 rose...