Cottage Cheese Cake

I LOVE dessert! I love it as much as I love my food. All the good desserts in the world are really not too healthy unless, of course, you eat fruit. But for me, fruit is not really dessert (more a snack) and I'm always on the look out for healthIER options than your average cake. This cheese cake is very easy to make and not as fattening as cheese cakes can be!

(Sorry for such an unimpressive photo, but I was out of strawberries to garnish the cake with) :D

Makes: About 25 pieces

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/4 cup butter, melted (can be reduced to a little more than 1/8 of a cup)

1 cup light digestive biscuit crumbs or graham cracker crumbs (both work well)

1 tbsp sugar

Filling:

2 cups fat free cottage cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

2 eggs

3 tbsp flour

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 tsp strawberry jelly granules (optional, to give color)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Melt butter in the pan you want to use (I usually use an 8-inch square pan so i can cut the cake into perfect square bite-size pieces, but you can use a round pan too). Stir in the biscuit crumbs and 1 tbsp sugar. Pat onto bottom and a bit on the sides of the dish. Set aside.

In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the filling and blend until smooth. Pour over crust and bake in the oven for 35-60 minutes (or until filling is firm). Cool completely, cut into equal squares and serve with a garnish of fresh strawberries.

Skirt Steak With Scallions

This is one of my all time favorite recipes because, not only does it taste good, it doesn't require much effort at all. I have served it for brunch, lunch and dinner and it goes well with a Pakistani menu as well as other cuisines. Make it once and I guarantee you that you will be making it over and over again.

Makes: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

500 grams skirt steak (or 'pasandas'), pounded thin and cut into 4-inch wide pieces

500 grams scallions/green onions, thinly sliced

6-8 whole green chillies

3-4 tbsp olive oil

salt, to taste

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cumin, roasted and ground/powder

water (IF needed)

Heat oil and put in the steak meat along with the onions, half the green chillies and salt and cook on medium-low to low heat till completely soft and done. Add a little water (about 1/4 cup) if too dry. Add the remaining green chillies, lemon juice and cumin and let it remain on very very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve.

PS-I have not forgotten to add garlic to the ingredients. Believe it or not, it does not require garlic. Don't be scared, the meat won't stink as long as its good quality and not too old. If you really don't trust me, then go ahead, add 1/2 a teaspoon! :)

Asian Mushroom Soup

I was at the grocery store the other day and the fresh mushrooms looked so inviting that i HAD to buy them. I bought a pack of creminis, one big portobella mushroom and a pack of the trusted button mushrooms. So for dinner, I decided to make a mushroom soup with an asian twist. To make it a complete meal (and not a starter), I added whole wheat noodles to it. You can omit the chicken from the ingredients and use tofu instead (or not). You can always make it with shrimp too. The soup turned out rather yummy and wholesome.

Makes: 3-4 servings

Calories: About 250-300 per (large) soup bowl.

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips (optional; can be substituted with tofu or shrimp)

1 tbsp sesame oil (or any other oil you have on hand)

1 tsp garlic paste or finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/2 inch fresh ginger root sliced (optional)

3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used button, portobello and cremini*)

1 and a half cups broth, store bought or homemade

4-5 cups water

3 tblsp soy sauce

3 thai red chillies, whole (optional)

1 cup cabbage (regular or red), sliced

1/2 cup carrot, grated or thinly sliced

1/2 cup scallions (green onions)

3 stems lemon grass, 1-inch each (optional)

2-3 tsp lime juice

1 handful cilantro

3 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

100 grams whole wheat noodles (or 2 noodle cakes)

salt, black pepper and crushed red chillies, to taste

Heat the sesame oil and add the ginger and garlic pastes. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and stir fry for 4-6 minutes. Add mushrooms, sliced ginger root, soy sauce, whole red chillies, lemon grass and cabbage. Cook for a minute and then add the broth and water. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and add carrots and scallions. Let it cook for another minute and then add the noodles. Cook till noodles and chicken are done. Taste and add salt, pepper and crushed red chillies. Add lime juice, cilantro and rice vinegar. Cook another minute and then take off the heat. Serve.

*Always remove the stem when using cremini mushrooms.

The Basic Broth

Chicken or Vegetable broth is something that is used in so many recipes. You can get it in tetrapaks or cans at your local grocery store but i prefer to make it at home. I generally make it in bulk and freeze 1 cup ziploc bags (since they store flat and don't take up too much room in the freezer) of it. Doing this will save you a lot of time and of course, it's much healthier to make it yourself than buying it at the store.

Ingredients:

500 grams Chicken bones

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp Garlic paste/finely chopped garlic

Vegetables (onion, carrot, celery or any ones you prefer)

Parsley (optional)

Put chicken bones in a stock pot and cover with cold water. Add garlic paste, salt and pepper and the vegetables. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat. Let the stock simmer for a few hours, stirring after every 30 mins of so.

Remove bones and vegetables by draining the stock. Use right away or cool and freeze for further use.