White Chocolate Cheese Cake

In our family we are not big fan of cheesecake, but still I wanted to try something on my own. After all my hesitation I decided to make this for a very small portion, surprisingly it was a big hit in our family and now I'll start exploring various cheesecakes with different flavours.

  This is no bake cheesecake and doesn't need much time to set, i can also say this as a bit low fat too. This is best when you have a sudden unplanned party. Layers of buttery biscuit crumbs mixed with cream and chocolate  is just melt in your mouth. Perfect way to finish off a meal.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Wholewheat digestive biscuits or marie biscuits or any plain biscuits- 12
White Chocolate- 200 g
Low fat cream cheese- 200 g
Low fat creme frische- 100 g
Dark Chocolate- 100 g
Melted Butter- 3 tbsp
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Few wafer biscuits and fresh fruits to serve
Method:
I have used here the chef's ring to make a mini cheesecake version, you can also use a 18 cm loose bottom cake tin.
Put the biscuits in a plastic bag, cover it and break the biscuits roughly with a rolling pan. Put the biscuit crumbs in a large bowl and add the melted to coat all the biscuits. Press the biscuits inside the tin, cover it allow it to refrigerate for 1 hour.
Beat together the cream cheese, creme frische and vanilla extract in a large bowl with  a bubble whisk. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave or in a bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water. When the chocolate is completely melted, take it off from heat and allow it cool down.
One important thing while melting the chocolate, you have to keep stirring continuously.
Add the cooled and melted chocolate to the cheese mixture and stir well. Spoon the cheese mixture over the biscuit base and level the surface. At this stage you can cover it and let it sit in the fridge till your guest arrive.
Just before serving melt the dark chocolate and pour it on top of the cheese mixture.
I just made a mistake , after adding the melted chocolate on top, I just left it to sit in the fridge, so it hardened and when you try to remove the mould, the top surface breaks. To avoid this breakage, pour the chocolate at the end before serving.
Serve the cheesecake with some fresh fruits and wafers.

These mini melt in the mouth goes to Sara's Monthly mingle- Party treat originally started by Meeta  and  to
the cold desserts by Torview.

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Whole Wheat and Grilled Chicken With Harissa Paste

Normally I use Bulgur wheat for this recipe, this time i have used whole wheat with harissa. After knowing the goodness the whole grains just couldn't resist it. Find more information about whole grains here.
Harissa Paste
 Harissa is a chilli paste , very popular among Tunisians , Algerians and Moroccons. It's a blend of smoked pepper and spices like cumin, coriander and chilli. It might vary among different ethnic people. Harissa can be used with couscous, bulgur or even to marinate the meat.
   The Blend of smoked pepper with spices burst with flavours in your dish.
Recipe For Harissa:

Ingredients:
Red Bell Pepper- 1
Dried Red Chilli- 2
Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
Olive oil- 1/2 tbsp
Garlic cloves- 3
Salt as required.
Method:
Preheat the oven to maximum, smoke the pepper until the skin blackens out. Take it out from the oven and allow it cool down completely. Let it cool down completely. Remove the dark parts from outside. Blend it along with the remaining ingredients by adding some water.

Serves 2
Whole Wheat and Grilled Chicken:

For the Chicken:
Ingredients:
2 Chicken Thighs
Harissa paste- 2 tbsp
Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
Salt as required

For The Whole Wheat:
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat- 1 cup
Carrot-1 medium sized chopped finely
Beans- 1/2 cup chopped
Celery- 2 stalks chopped
Harissa paste- 3 tbsp( you can vary it according to your taste).
Salt as required

Method:
Wash the chicken well and marinate it with the harissa paste, salt and lemon juice for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 250 degree celsius. Cook the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes on each side. To check wheather the chicken is cooked, insert a skewer and if the juice from the chicken runs out clear, it's cooked. If it's pink, cook it for some more time until the chicken is done.
 To prepare the whole wheat, soak the whole wheat in water for 1/2 an hour. Boil all the vegetables in a large pan or a rice cooker with 6 cups of water. When the vegetables are boiling, drain the whole wheat completely and add it to the vegetables, now add 1 tbsp of harissa paste and salt. Cook until the water is completely dried out and the wheat is cooked.
Serve it with the grilled chicken, some fresh salad and with pickles on side.
This recipe goes to Two For Tuesdays

.

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Exciting Awards

This was really exciting for me. Menaga  was so kind enough to pass me some of her fabulous awards. When i first saw this i was really overwhelmed with happiness. Thank you Menaga for passing these awards. Menaga is a brilliant food blogger, her innovative recipes flows like a non stop stream. Her recipes are innovative and healthy, to check out all her delicious and healthy recipes please click here.
Here comes the fabulous awards she passed me:

I'm not going to limit this award to one or three so I want to share these awards with all my fellow bloggers, please accept it from me.

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Kesar Nankhattai

Nankhattai is a Indian version of shortbread  or cookies, which you can find it in almost all Indian bakeries. this recipe is from Champa's Versatile Kitchen. When i first saw this cookie it self i know I'm going to make this, it was so delicious especially the aroma of saffron and cardamom filled my whole house when I was baking this.
Every time when i opened this box of cookie, it was simply irresistible.
Recipe adapted from Versatile Kitchen
Ingredients:
Plain flour- 100 g
Fine Semolina- 100 g
Ghee or Melted Butter- 100g
Powdered Sugar- 100g
Saffron- 1/4 tsp soaked in warm milk
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda- 1/4 tsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Now add the ghee, cardamom and saffron knead it together to make it into a dough. Grease and line a baking sheet. Take small balls out of the dough, round it between your palms, flatten it slightly and place it in the baking sheet.
 Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, leave it in the wire rack to cool. Then store it in a air tight container.
Note:
 To check if the cookies are cooked move it slightly with your finger, if it moves freely without sticking to the paper then the cookies are done.
These cookies are great for tea time party or even for kid's party.
This recipe goes to Versatile Kitchen Bake-Off Event. It also goes to bookmarked recipes by Priya.
It also goes to Monthly Mingle- Party Treats hosted by Sara's Corner started by Meeta.
It also goes to Celebrate Independence Day by Akhila.

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Chicken Satay

Satay is originally invented by street vendors in Indoneasia, which has now become even the nationaldish of Indoneasia. These satays  are also very popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, which is now gaining it's popularity all over the world. Satays are marinated chicken or beef grilled and served with sauce. To read more about different Satay click here.
 Particularly for chicken satay if you use thigh of chicken, it's much more tender and flavourful.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
Chicken Thighs- 6 or Chicken Breast- 1
Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Sesame oil or sunflower oil- 2 tsp
Soya sauce- 1 tsp
Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
Salt- as required
For The Sauce:
Dry roasted peanuts- 1/2 cup
Coconut milk- 1/2 cup
Sesame oil- 1 tbsp
Dried red chillli- 2
Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Palm sugar- 1/2 tsp
Salt as required.

Method:
Carefully remove the chicken from the thigh bone by running a scissors in the middle or use a chicken breast by cutting them into thin long strips. Dip about 6 to 7 wooden skewers in water for more than five hours this stop burning the sticks when you are cooking.
Marinate the chicken with all the chicken ingredients for about 1 to 2 hours. Take the chicken strips and insert them into the skewers. You can grill them in a griddle pan or you can cook them in the oven.
To cook it in the oven, preheat the oven to 220 degree celsius and grill them for 20 minutes on each side.
To make the sauce blend all the sauce ingredients in a blender to a coarse paste.
Serve the chicken and sauce with lime wedges on side.

This recipes  goes to my own event Iftar Moments:Hijri 1431 and to Muhibbah Malaysian Monday

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Veggie/ Fruit A Month- Cherries

I'm happy to announce the Veggie/ Fruit A Month event here in Taste Of Pearl City. First I would like to thank Priya of  Mahro Rajasthan's Recipes  who gave me this opportunity to host her event. This event is started by Priya,  according to the event, every month any one fruit or vegetable will be chosen as a star ingredient to prepare recipes using that.  This month the featured fruit is  Cherry. Cherries are found in abundant in  markets during summer particularly in European countries.
   The majority of eating cherries are derived from  Prunus avium( sometimes called the sweet cherry)  or  Prunus cerasus ( the sour cherry). Cherry enriched diet lowers your body fat especially the belly fat. It lowers the risk of all heart related disease. In general cherries are known to lower the cholestrol level in your body.
Cherries also reduce the inflammation, to read more about cherries click here and here.
 As long as I lived in India the only cherry which I was  very familiar is glaced  cherries. First time when I visited UK i got a chance to taste this sweet fruit, after that  it became a regular  fruit in our diet.  There are enormous amount of recipes you can prepare using this fruit, you can also use this fruit in raw form in your recipes like salad. You can also use this fruit in any form like fresh, dried, canned or frozen.

You can also use this fruit in any savoury dish if you wish.  Here are some of the few criteria which you have to follow:
Criteria For The Event:
1. Prepare any dish using Cherry as your  star  ingredient. From to starter to dessert  you can prepare any recipes, it can also be in the raw form in the recipe.
2. Please don't use alcohol and it's derivatives( like wine, beer etc..), animal gelatine or pork in your recipe.
3.I would also like to have only new posts, no old posts so that you can try making recipes using that fruit now.
4. Link back to this announcement page and also to Priya's event announcement page. I would really appreciate if you can include the logo in your posts.
5. If your are blogger send me the following details to my mail at ayeesha.riaz@googlemail.com
    Name:
    Recipe Name and Url:
    Category of the Dish:
    Picture of the dish reduced to 300 px wide
   If you are a non- blogger  mail me your recipe with the picture at ayeesha.riaz@googlemail.com
6. Last date for the submission of the recipes is August 31st, so you have you have one whole month to use this fruit as much as you can according to your creativity.
 Without any delay start thinking how to use this fruit , looking forward to all the creative treats .

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Mini Mango Custard Tart With Almond Pastry

These mini mango flavoured custard tart  made with delicate almond and cream cheese pastry makes a very light tea time snack.

Makes 12 mini tarts.
Ingredients:
For the  pastry:
Plain flour- 100 g
Cream cheese- 40 g
Butter- 40 g
Ground Almonds with skin- 1 tbsp
Icing Sugar- 20 g
Cold water- 1 tbsp
For the filling:
Mango- 1/2 a mango pureed
Cream frische- 150 ml
Egg- 1
Custard powder- 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Grated Nutmeg- 1/2 tsp
Agave syrup- 2 tbsp or Sugar- 50 g
Method:
Sift the flour, icing sugar in a large bowl. Add the ground almonds and mix well. Add the cream cheese and beat knead together to make a soft dough. If the dough doesn't come together add 1 tbsp of cold water. Wrap the dough in a cling film and chill for minimum of 1 hour.
For the filling, whisk together egg, custard powder, cardamom powder and agave syrup in a bowl. Heat the cream frische in a pan just under boiling point, even if it looks like curdling don't worry immediately pour the cream frische in the egg mixture and whisk siftly. Return the mixture to the pan again and heat it in medium to low heat whisking continuously. When the mixture turns thick, switch off from heat and let it cool down.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.  Grease a bun tin. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking  paper, cut out round discs to fit your bun tin. Place the disc inside the tin, pressing down the sides. Fill it with the custard filling, sprinkle the nutmeg on top. Bake it with preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the custard is set. Allow it to cool in the wire rack.
These custard tart are best when it's served on the day made.
This recipe goes to Versatile Kitchen Bake-Off event.

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