Food Ideas for Halloween Party

Here comes Halloween, we are all set for it. Yipee! Ofcourse I will not like to spend my precious time in the kitchen. So here are some TIME SAVING HALLOWEEN PARTY IDEAS…..

Halloween's Scary Hand (Simple Meatloaf with shape of a hand) - The scary hand is here, it's burnt, it it looks dreadful, but it's yummy. Since time will be a constraint that day, I decided to prepare a quick and easy meatloaf, loved by people of all age groups. You can use roasted pearl onions to give an impression of dead nails. Then you can cover up the ground meat with cheese and tomato sauce, it'll give an impression of flesh and blood, OMG! Nevertheless the ground meat (I prefer beef) must contains your family's favorite Mediterranean herbs, especially garlic, barbeque sauce etc. to enjoy the taste of the fest. 

Grave Pudding (Chocolate Pudding with your favorite Cookies) - I love chocolate recipes and chocolate pudding is one of my favorites. Chocolate Pudding is one of my favorites. The pudding can be prepared a day before to save time. The pudding can be loaded with your favorite nuts to give impression of the soil. Add the pudding in small glasses as shown. Place Biscuits as shown, they look like tombstone. With chocolate sauce you can write R.I.P. I’m sure kids are gonna love this “Dark Spooky Pudding”.

Spooky Spiders on my Eggs (Deviled Eggs with Black Olives) - This quick and easy recipes is so light and delicious. I always use low-fat mayo for the egg yolks. On the deviled eggs, cut the olives into two equal halves. Make the body of the spider from half of the olive. Slice the other half to give the impression of the spider legs. You can also sprinkle some pepper to give impression of the dust. Though I prefer using low-fat mayo, you can always add mayo that is your family’s favorite. The Deviled Eggs are really devilish here :P

Devilish Cookies (Pumpkin Cookies) - This is the easiest of all. You need making simple cookies with sugar-spiced pumpkin filling. You can always draw lines like the one on pumpkins with blunt knife. With the sharp knife you can cut the eyes and mouth. You can also add in some other filling if you want, but I always prefer my family’s favorite Pumpkin Filling. The Scary Devilish Cookies will definitely cheer up the kids.

So, where’s the party pals?

Happy Diwali with Indian Rice Pudding

Here comes the biggest Indian festival, Diwali. This year Diwali is falling on October 23, 2014. Diwali is not only celebrated in India, but Nepal, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana,and Fiji. This festival symbolizes victory of good over evil. On Diwali, people lighten up their houses with earthen lamps and candles. Special prayer is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the giver of wealth and prosperity. Firework follows immediately after the evening prayer. Gifts are exchanged between the friends and family. And as I always say, any festival is incomplete without food, especially the yummy dessert recipes. So let's welcome Diwali with great pomp and show. I'm making kheer, the authentic Indian rice pudding. So jump with yummzz :P.

Ingredients:-

2 tablespoons Sugar,

1 1/2 cup Cooked Rice,

2 cups Full Cream Milk,

3 teaspoons Clarified butter,

1/2 tablespoon chopped Almonds,

1 Pinch teaspoon Nutmeg Powder,

1/2 tablespoon chopped Pistachios,

1/3 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk,

1/2 tablespoon chopped Cashew nuts.

Preparation Method:-

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of clarified butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Roast cashew nuts, pistachios and almonds until light brown for a minute. Transfer the nuts to a plate.

2. Place milk, condensed milk, sugar and cooked rice in the same pan. Stir continuously and cook until milk is absorbed. Mixture must be medium thick. It will take approximately 15 minutes on low flame.

3. Add in it nutmeg powder, 2 teaspoons of clarified butter and mix well. Transfer prepared kheer to a serving bowl. Garnish with roasted nuts. Serve hot or cold!

Happy Diwali!

Welcome Mid-Autumn Festival with Authentic Mooncake

The Mid-Autumn Festival of China, also called the Moon Cake Festival is falling on September 8, 2014. It is denoted a harvesting festival which is stuffed with sweet treats. The markets and houses are flooded with mooncakes, a month before the arrival of the fest. Mooncakes are made up of thin dough shells. They contain heavenly fillings like red bean paste, chocolate, nuts, dates etc. This festival is considered as one of the best shindig, after the New Year celebration. It is accompanied by pomelos (Chinese grapefruit) eating competition. Well, the word eating reminds me, I’m very fond of Chinese food especially sweet and sour pork with pineapple and dumplings :P.

The Moon Cake festival is accompanied by pomelos (Chinese grapefruit), eating competition. It is marked by fire-dragon dances and lantern burning all over the night, which lightens and brightens up the place. People worship lunar goddess Chang’e and devotees burn incense sticks in the honour. Chinese believe that the Goddess lives on moon with a jade rabbit. There is a famous moon-watching spot in the city of Hangzhou. Here, there are  three candlelit towers in West Lake, beautifully decorated with lights and lanterns. Let's welcome the Moon Cake Festival with Authentic Mooncake recipe.

Authentic Mooncake Recipe

For the Mooncake Dough:-

25 ml Peanut oil,

2 ml Alkaline water,

100 grams All-purpose flour,

70 grams golden syrup.

For the Mooncake Filling:-

415 grams edible lotus paste,

40 grams melon seeds.

Preparation Method:-

1. Mix lotus paste with melon seeds. Divide the filling and shape into small balls. Set aside. Place the golden syrup in a bowl. Add in alkaline water and stir well. Add in oil and mix well.

3. Place flour in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre. Add in the above mixture. Gently knead the dough till smooth. Dust the working surface with some flour.

5. Divide the dough into small balls. Dust hand with flour and flatten each ball of dough into a small disc, about 5 cm in diameter. Wrap in it the filling made above and shape it into balls.

6. Lightly dust the wrapped dough with some flour. Place in the mooncake mould and press the mooncake out. Place mooncake on a baking tray, with parchment paper. Spray some water on the mooncakes.

7. Bake at preheated oven at 180 D.C for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Brush the top with some egg wash. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.

9. Leave mooncakes to cool completely and store in airtight containers. Enjoy!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!