Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

The moment I saw this in Irene's place Confession of a Tart, and I love that name and if you go there you will see why she gave her wonderful delicous blog that name.

Irene made it for one of hergood friends b'day. Now don't you all wish you all had a friend like Irene who would make this and pack themù in a box beautifully and give them.
Ofcourse if you go over to her place, you will see a much more nicer picture as I don' thave a steady hand for pipping the white chocolate.

I wanted to surprise my daughter with these chocolate strawberries, as while looking to Iren's blog, I had shown her and for one thing my daughter is like me, that is we both love chocolate.
And she was so happy when she saw these chocolate strawvberries .
Now she goes on asking me when am I going to make them again.

Original recipe Confession of a Tart

24 ripe strawberries
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (she used Lindt, i used callebaut)
1 oz white chocolate,
choppedRinse strawberries and gently pat dry.
Set on a rack to dry completely. Melt bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler.Dip strawberries in chocolate and shake off excess.
Set to dry on a rack (on the tops as shown in the photos) or on parchment (on the bottoms which will give you a foot of chocolate) in a cool, dry location
[Irene's note: I let mine dry in the kitchen for a half hour and then got impatient and put them in the refrigerator].

That is exactly i did too.

When chocolate has dried, melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the strawberries

This is for my event and waiting to get all you delicous strawberry creations.

Spaghetti con Salmone e Gamberi

Doesn't that sounds so yummy :-) well it just means Spaghetti with salmon and Scampis. (Just copied the title from my book The pasta bible as it sounded so nice)
First time I had pasta was when I came here to Belgium. I am sure my generation kids in India ( oh did I says kids, my god that was indeed few decades back) well at least me then, didn't had any pasta dishes.

Ofcourse now things have changed, back in India we get pasta in all the shops.

And now to say that we have pasta dishes at least once a week. If i don't make something with pasta my daughter will ask how come you didn't make any pasta this week.
Mostly it is pastaRagu or some kind of tomatos pasta.
But now that my daughter loves salmon , I am overjoyed that I can even make pasta dishes with salmon than thinking to myself what will i make for her if i make this for us.
Ofcourse she don't eat Scampis, but no trouble she picks them out and give it to her dad.

This is what we had last sunday for lunch.
This creamy delcious rich pasta. I am sure if you make this you will fall in love with the dish as we did here at home.

Normally when some dishes ask for wine I dodn't add them often, but I have to tell you if you make this you should add the wine as the wine gives a wonderful taste to the whole pasta dish.
My tip is if you open up a bottle specially for this and you dodn't want to drink wine, then freeze them in a freezer bag and use them when a another recipe ask for wine.

Ingridients:
300 gm Salmon fillet
250 ml dry white wine
Few basil leaves ( I didn't have so i used a tbsp of dried basil)
6 ripe fat tomatoes , do use fresh ones as the tomatoes are really good in this time of the year.( skins and seeds removed and chopped)
2 tbsp tomato puree
200 ml cream + 50 ml water ( mix them together)
300 gm Spagjetti
115 gm scampis/Shrimps
Peper and salt to taste

Method:

Poach the salmon in the wine together with a bit of salt , peper and the basil leaves for 5 minutes, add the scampis just before you finish poaching the fish so that they dodn't over cook.
Don't forget when you mix the sauce with the pasta the fish will cook more and you dodn't want them to be over cooked.
Reomove the fish and the scampi using a slotted spoon.
Flake the salmon and keep it aside.

Turn up the fire high and add the tomatoe paste, boil the wine for few minutes so they are bit reduced.
Add the cream, salt and peper and the tomatoes, cook in a soft fire for 10 minutes. Add the flakes salmon and the scampis.
In the mean time cook the pasta according to the packet.
Drain and mix them to the sauce and serve them and enjoy the delicous creamy pasta.
If you have fresh basil leaves you can use them as garnish.

I am sending this to detail here and is hosted by Sara I'm a Food Blog.

Apricot and Nut Cookies for Click

It is time for this months and you can see loads of Cookie post popping up every were in the blogsphere.

Want to join up, in one of the famous monthly event in the blogsphere then click here
I must admit I don't make cookies that often, unless if I have my daughers friends comming to our place and she has been having so much school work and going for her violin lessons and concerts etc....... that she hardly have had time to ask her friends to our place.

One of her best friend who come every Tuesday after school for a hour of chit chat has not been here for few weeks, as Shyama had to go for her violin lessons, to play with the piano teacher in the music academy as she also have exams for that.
Her friend has been missing her visit here so much she asked Shyama if she can come on Thursday.
I coudn't wait till thursday for baking cookies then i would miss the deadline. As if I know If i make something It will few days for me o load the pictures to the computer.

So last sunday I made these cookies and while I finished icing them, my daughter came to the kitchen and and asked if she can decorate them. ( I wasnot planning to decorate them)

So the decoration are done by her. I left her to the decorating them and when i came back and saw the designs I told hubby i think love is in the Air after seeing her heart shaped cookies :-)

The original recipe you can get from here

This is my variation with thethings i had home.

Cookies.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure almond essence
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup almonds chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts chopped

Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)

Directions
For the Cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond flavored liqueur, until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.

Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.

Announcing Strawberry Feast

Strawberry is one of the fruits I love and it is available in abundence in most of the parts of the world as it is the season ( I know in Indian they are finished , which is a real pity)
But you can make something with strawberry Jam then :-) remember the jam rolls............

I have not seen any event for strawberry ( unless I missed them) so I thought I will start a Strawberry event, What you lovely bloggers have to do is, make something with strawberry and send it over to my place.

Multiple entries are grabed here with open arms.
If you like you can use the logo.

1. Your name :

2. Where you live :

3. Your blog’s name and URL

4. The URL of your entry :

5. A picture 200X200 pixel, it doesn't matter if it is not the exact size, i have noticed I can never have them in the exact size when ever I try to resize them.

6. Name of your Dish.

7. Link to this post so others can also find about them through your post.

8. Email me your entry to mykitchen_treasures(at)yahoo(dot)com

You all have till June 25 th for sending your delicous entries and I will do the round up few days later.
So Start Cooking :-)

Sesame Chicken

This is one of those chicken dish you will love it, from kids to adults.
First time I had this was in a chinese place, but have to say after making this at home I am not going to take this at any chinese as I thingk this home made seasame chicken is far better in taste, thanks to Bog Chef there is so much delicous dishes there, you won't be disapointed.

Want to have the recipe , check it out here
I did Indianized a bit by adding few chillies, ginger and garlic.
Didn' thad time to take realy picture, so the above pic is the dish in the wok.

Sending this to Ruth's

Fruits au sabayon

For this months I was paired with Le Recette du jour , I am so pleased beeing paired with her as I made something which I have never made.

I always thought Sabayon was something which only real good chefs can make as it is with eggs and I always heard you had to be carefull so that the eggs don't curdle etc.............. all these disaster stories had put me off making them untill I saw them in Le recettes place, it sounded so easy to make I thought to myself I should give it a try.

And I am so glad I tried them, they are shockingly so easy to make andtaste is just so so delicous.
Just like a 5 star place dessert.

She has this wonderful array of delicous desserts in her place.
If you ant to have the original recipe check out her place here she used a variety ofother fruits than me.
I used berries as now it is really berry season here and I thought why not make use of sesonal fruits.
Before I go to the recipe I must say a huge thankyou to Teresa Cordero Cordell of Mexican American Border Cooking.

She had this wonderful competition and I won the book
I am new to Mexican Cusine but I am really looking forward for trying them as I looked through the book which I received last week and there is lots of dishes I want to try from the book.
So watch out the space here, thee is going to be a fiesta here soon :-)
Want to buy Glorias book , you will find the information here

I also received a copy of ebook, of Teressa which is called Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes. Whick is absloutley my things as it is with lots of chocolate desserts.

1 small box of raspberries.
1 small box of black berries.
15 to 20 strawberries. Slice them
2 tbsp of grenadine ( optional)
Mix all the fruits with the grenadine ( if you are using) and divide them into 4 glasses.

Sabayon:
100 ml sweetwine, I used Banyuls
3 egg yolks
40 gm sugar

To make the sabayon you need a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over simmering water, and either a strong wrist or a handheld electric whisk. I used a electric whisk.

I don't have a double broiler so i fill up a pan with hot water and use another bowl to fit on to the pan.

Put the pan in a small heat and add the sweet wine in a glass or steel bowl and add the eggs and starts whisking. While bush whisking add the sugar and keep on whisking untill it turns white and frothy, it will take almost 8 to 10 minutes.
Pour over the fruits and serve it immidietly.
Enjoy this super delicous dessert.

Here it is a long weekend from tommorow onwards as there is some kind of religious holiday here, so I will see you all on Monday.

Chitrannam (Lemon Rice)

Back at home we had rice twice a day, for lunch and then for dinner too. So you can imagine the shock I had when I came here and saw here, everybody ate bread twice a day than warm lunch and dinner oh and the breakfast too was a hot meal back at home.
Ofcourse I adjusted to the habbit here of having bread in the morning and evening here.
Hi hi no work here just slice the bread and that is it for breakfast and evening.

When my sis visited me last year she was saying I have no cooking here..............
I am sure Chitranam is not new to you all as you all have made this, but for me it is the first time I make them.
And it was super spicy, lemony delicious.

Recipe is from Indira's blog Mahanadi , it is the first blog I came across few years back. and I am so glad I discovered the blog world.
You want to have the real authentic recipe chekc her place.Mahanadi blog .

Rice:4 cups of basmati rice cooked.
2 to 3 juicy limes - cut and juice to a cup
6 to 8 green chillies, Indian or Thai variety - slit vertically ( or acccording to your taste)
¼ cup - Chana dal pre-soaked in water at least half an hour before.
2 tablespoons - urad dal
1 teaspoon each - salt and turmeric
2 tablespoons oil.
1/2 tsp each - mustard seeds, cumin, and red dry chilli pieces.
12- 15 fresh curry leaves.
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup cashew nuts.

Method:
In a skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil.
First add peanuts, fry them until they turn light brown. Remove. Add and fry cashews next. Remove from the pan to a plate, keep them aside.

Now in the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil.
Add and fry the curry leaves first. Then cumin and mustard seeds. When seeds start to splutter, add the split green chillies, channa dal and urad dal.
Saute them till golden and crisp. In the end, sprinkle half teaspoon turmeric for that golden yellow color.
Mix and then saute for another one to two minutes.

Now add the toasted peanuts and cashews to the cooked rice.
Stir in salt and sprinkle the limejuice. Combine thoroughly and delicately.
Have a taste, it should zing or shock your taste buds like sucking on a fresh lime wedge. If not, add some more limejuice and salt. Mix again. And keep in mind that rice absorbs the limejuice, and the tanginess you feel during the preparation reduces in intensity after sometime.

Sending this to Nags for her , which is a event started by Meeta of What' s for Lunch Hooney.
Sending this also to Easy Crafts

European Peasant Bread and 2 Violin songs

One thing I love about Artisian Bread in Five Minutes a Day book is that, it is so easy to make the bread, there is no kneading at all. Just mix evrything and keep in the fridge, take them out when you want to mbake them, just roll into their shapes and you end up with beautiful and delicous breads.

The charming music of Rabindranath Tagore, named Jharo Jharo on violin....performed by hubby


Jhumna performes in violin by my daughter, now you all know from were she gets her Talent, not from me but from hubby dear :-)

Makes four 1 pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
5 1/2 cups unleached whole purpose flour ( I used splet)
Cornnmeal for the pizza peel '( used normal flour)

1. Mixing and storing the dough : Mix the yeast and salt with watr in a 5 guater, or a lidded ( not airtight) food container.

2. Mix the remianing dry indriedients without kneading, usinf a spoon, a 14 - cup capacity food processor ( with dough attachment), or a heavy duty stand mixer ( with dough hook).
If you are not using a machine, you may nee to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover ( not airtight) I used plastic foil to coer the bowl . and allow to rest at room temperatire untill the dough risses and collapse ( or flattens on top), approximatley 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Regrigerate in a lidded ( not air tight ) container ( iused huge glass bowl and covered with plastic foil, and use over the next 14 days.

5 On the baking day, dust the surface of the regrigerated dough with flour and cutt off a 1 pound piece.
Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quater tuen as you go.
Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal covered peel for 40 minutes.

6. Twenty minutes before baking time, prehaet the oven to 450°F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't inter frere with the rising bread.

I didn't do the step 6 as i don't have a stone, I preheated the oven and just baked the bread in oven.

7. Sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and shash a cross, or tic tac toe patter onto the top, using a serated knife.

8. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot ston. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the brolier tray and quicly close the oven door.
Bake for about 35 minutes or untill the top crust is deeply browned and very firm.

Agian I didn't do the step 8 as i wrote above just baked the bread in a preheated oven.

9. Allow to cool before slicing and enjoying them.

I halved the ingridient list and made 1 big bread than small ones. And baked them for 50 minutes in 200°c

My Devilishly smiling and Winking bread ;-)

Sending to which is hosted this month at Tangerine's Kitchen a event founded by Zorra , for passionate and to-be bread bakers.

Delicious Slices of bread.

Chicken Curry

The moment I saw this in Ranji's Kitchen Corner , I knew I will be trying it out as it wa slooking so so yummy delicous. And I was not wrong it was indeed spicy and delicous. Well all her recipes are really yummy in her place. Especially she has delicious Non-Veg dishes.

She served them with neer Dosa, I would have loved to have the dosa too, but I am not that good in making dosa like that si i didn't even try them . SO i served with plain rice.
If you love spices and coconut and chicken and want to make them, hopp to her place for the recipe.

Vikki at Vikki's Kitchen is hosting a so if you are making something with cluck cluck chicken send it to her place for her event.
Sending it also to which is hosted at Dil se... this week so make all your bookmarked recipes which is hanging around there and send it to her

Rhubarb Soup with Strawberry Ice Cream

I had a wonderful Mother' day yesterday.
My daughter surprised me with two wonderful gifts and a home made card. Yeah she will be 17 yrs in this jully, still she makes a card for me instead of buying one which I think so so sweet of her. And I have all the cars in a special box which she has made for me .

If you scroll down you will se the gifts she came me , I don't know who was more pleased by the choice of gift she or I, as you should have seen her face while I was opening up the gift.
And then after a while she came with a proud smile and asked me again what I thought about her gift :-)

Aparently she knows her mom well as she bought for me food related things and hubby bought abhuge bocquet of flower for me for the special day too.

Now to the recipe, Last week when i went to the market i saw this wonderfully fresh Rhubarb that I coudn't help myself , I had to buy them.
So I tried something chich I have not made with Rubarb and that is this soup, it was really refreshing and delicous.

Home Made card which she made for me, first page is for the noises and shoutings which comes from my kitchen when i am busy as i have this habbit of dropping utensils, cups etc and breaking them :-)

Apero sticks

Egg whisker

Flowers from hubby dear

Ingridients:
500 gm Rhubarb cut in thick blocks.
250 ml sweet white wine
125 gm sugar
250 gm strawberris in pieces
4 ball of strawberry ice cream here is my home made recipe

1. Bring to boil the 2/3 rhubarb with wine and sugar. Lower the fire and cook it for 20 minutes.

2. Sieve the mixture and then add the rest of the rhubarb ( cut this a bit finer) and set aside for 5 minutes.

3. Divide the strawberries in 4 soup plate pour the rhubar soup mixture and top with a ball of strawberry ice cream.
Enjoy this summery delicous sweet soup for a dessert.

Sending this to which is hosted at Lisa's Kitchen, detals here

alos this to which is hosted at An Italian in the US