NO BAKE COCONUT HAZLENUT LIME CHEESECAKE , PICANTE PRAWNS & CHICKEN SCHNITZEL

Kimmy called by the other day to ask if i was game for a potluck....

ofcourse i was ...

and it wasnt a weekend too...

i love to be home for the weekend.....

i know!!!!   my idea of fun is very different....

and mouldable too....

i love what u love and am game for anything......

Potluck....dont u love potluck.........??????

when u carry a delicacy,a goody,a cookie or cakkey , u so love to realize that evrybody else loves it too and has carried the same over.........hahahahahha......

and i thought i was creative.......:-))))))

Ok Ok ....jus kidding ....

MUTTON RIBS/CUTLETS/CHOPS @ IHCC @ NIGELLA LAWSON

I have as many a take on happy hour as maybe i'd have for decorating cookies. . . Ok ok. . .not very sucessfull comparism there.. .



The first picture that swims across my eyes is the 7pm happy hour. . The delicious 7pm happy hour which most cake and dessert pastelaria's at most resorts here keep to, yeah 50% off on all their goodies till closing time. . .

My cookie baking and decorating hour too is happy hour to me. . .


All my blogging hours too are very happy hours even as i pop in to say hello to everyone of you happy pals, slow internet or no. . . .

And all that goes into keeping that dinner table going too and yeah tweaking recipes, which we all do yeah, also makes my happy hour and on that note i have combined 2 of nigella's recipes for a single one. . . . Double the deliciousness in one happy plate. . .so much like 2 for the price of 1 . . .A 50% discount. . .


sounds fun? It sure is not to mention really really good . . ..........

Had the previlage of watching Nigella cook up 2 gorgeous recipes in her own very kitchens. . . . Aint it a delight to watch her at work?


Sure is. . .


The 2 recipes combined are chicken nuggets which i already actually baked awhile ago and .........

SO the marinade in the butter milk comes from the ritzy chicken nuggets baked and the dipping in egg and panko crumBs with parmesan form the pork chops/cutlets/fillets...

So this is what i played with for our HAPPY HOURS this week ,at I HEART COOKING CLUBS.....

SImple and easy and quick,if u jus keep the muttom marination overnight....

1)PLACE A FEW MUTTON RIBS(ofcourse u can use pork or beef too)IN A PLASTIC BAG AND POUND EM WELL.

2)SEASON WITH LIME,SALT AND PEPPER(i sometimes use a stock powder here w a pinch of sugar-love the different resulting flavs) AND PLACE IN A GOOD BOWL OF BUTTERMILK SO THATS IT FULLY COVERED.refrigerate overnight.

3)WHEN UR READY TO FRY KEEP
A)A PLATE OF FLOUR
B)A BOWL WITH EGGS BEATEN WITH PEPPER,MUSTARD AND WEE BIT OF SALT.
C)PANKO CRUMBS MIXED WITH DRY PARMESAN CHEESE...(the green n yellow kraft bottles work good)

4)NOW DIP THE MARINATE RIBS IN FLOUR,THEN EGG ,THEN COAT WITH THE CHEESY PANKO ,PRESS LIGHTLY TO ADHERE AND WELL FRY 'EM IN A PAN OF HOT OIL.
SO ITS EASY AS A)....B)....C)........

5)SERVE WITH A SALAD OF UR CHOICE..... 

                                   

NIGELLA LAWSON'S STIR FRIED MUSHROOMS W PASTA @I HEART COOKING CLUBS

Its Potluck time again at I HEART COOKING CLUBS again this time guys and though usually am all excited to get my post up as soon as possible,am lagging this time around...well my pics are done
(i usually cook up the week before)and the recipe to but havent written in a bit and thats what....ok theres absolutely no pressure here...and i so love to indulge in the delciousness of all the rest of the gang bring in so head in I HEART COOKING CLUBSto catch 'em all....

But can go on rambling some gibberish about how busy it was with college and attending classes and working on assingements,doing as muc as house work as can (my mom to me is my princess,a princess i adore and love and with our househelp not around i do it all for mom-we actually fight over doing the dishes but not the way u think...we fight to do ;em :-))) )))

And then the dinners and lunches and breakfasts and in betweens that we share...

PESTO'N AN 'UN-PESTO'D' @ NIGELLA @ I HEART COOKING CLUBS...

Exotic destinations :) greece. . .israel. . .scotland. . Spain. . .big apple(hi joanne), hawai(ola deb). .brazil(ola vinni), portugal.(isabel bejinhos). . prague......bahamas(Joanne pops in a hi w tiffany frm her cruiseliner). . . . N italy(NW NW Joanne pops again as an 8yr old doll). . .

So lets stop at italy and begin about some gorgeous italian food shall we. . .pastas and linguine. .

 Olives n oilve oils . . . .garlic n herbs. . . .luscious sauces n tomato based ones. . .sun dried tomatoes e jalpenos. . .and and and. . . . .the bestest of 'em al. .pinenuts e basil w a sprinkling of sea salt n garlic. . . .n olive oil..mama mia A PESTO. .

So for this week @ I HEART COOKING CLUBS for the theme EXOTIC DESTINATIONS...I couldn look further than italian exoticness cuisine unfolded..begining with a pesto....

All that said i think something really special is equal to exotic for me would be being closer to the north pole for the winters and during holidays and yeah wouldn santa land be the best of em all. . . Where i can actually sing. . . Snow is falling. . And binge on hot chocolate with vanilla and marshmellows...

stuffed one whole fish with pesto..opened it after grilling n grilled with the filled side opened again...i love the pairing of the pomo seeds-brings about a welcome sweetness and with a squeeze of lime...perfeto...

And more often than not ,im happier where i am and for me the best holidays are loaded with being around my family ,a cold terrain(as in the weather ie)and loving every moment be it exploring the place,shopping for momemtos alike(well thats a rather long list here...),exploring the exotic cuisine....or sleeping(ofcourse there are loads of things we do on hols but more on that later...)....

(the calm seas above-and the trees swaying in delite at the warm sea breeze)

I love and enjoy where we live now though it does get warm at times but then what are the air conditioners for....and its beautiful here....(ok i cant even find a few wilton or any decent sprinkles and silicone cup cake moulds(heart shaped)and cookie cutters and those fancy icing tolls here(not even the basic disposable bags yet...but have got a lead and maybe richer with my goody bags jus in time for valentines baking...)

a flower i jus shot on sun along the highway...

And from the first time in dec i cooked up this nigella delight have had requests sice..and our sunday dinner saw us with loads of grilled fish and mussels with mushrooms...all pesto'd -pairs fantastically with a tossed salad and pasta...

and last night again for dinner we had chicken pesto'd with pasta.
The pics with the main recipe are my first hand at it and i begin with seafood &  and will have the chicken inbetween with the mushrooms and below.....exotica itself-pesto'd mussels....

Only Nigella Lawson can 'unpesto' a pesto sauce-oh she's adorable with all that conjures up in her kitchen......

But here i am about to 'pesto' her 'un-pesto' ,linguinne pasta...

I love a lingine pasta-our current hot fav(the last hot were the large 'shelly' pasta as i loved to call 'em)

And combine that with a pesto and some fresh chicken and u have some yummy dinner going....

Its been awhile i wanna whip up a pesto and since we are cooking NIGELLA(oh am so gald am a part),i tend to look out more than i ever did for Nigella's dinner ideas.

And thanx to IHCC ,me will get down to replicating all of the fun that happens in nigella's kitchen...

And yeah before u begin dont forget to move ur 'music' ,as in only carols now with a tango thrown in my playlist,to the kitchen.....(WHIPPED this one up in dec)

I love to jiggle and hop around to a tune while cutting up a salad or stir frying a veggie for dinner or lunch or breakfast or a snack(d other way round...).....

Ok ok ,we are far from the high way again arent we....trust me to steer away,thank GoD aint driving at the moment...so steering back to the pesto(have absolutely fresh basil at hand),browsed around for Nigella's pesto,wanted a chicken with linguine...

and yeah found this 'UNPESTO'DD PESTO' so i turned it around and pestoed it-perfect....

and added some chicken for a complete hearty begining that ended with hot choco-cafe & brownies.....

My not very wide spectrum of knowledge of pesto is that ,though pine nuts are the main nuts traditionally used(i have some yummy mix of pinenuts soaked in a little jar in olive oil,vinegar,whole and crushed garlic,pepper,sugar & i dont know what...i fixed this mix many a weeks back and its delightfull-must sit with the jar,pic it and write an article but in next year that'll be,oh yeah new years jus a few days ago)

this is a portion of chicken,which i fried in olive oil ,instead of grilling...honestly could do w/o the extra oil...no difference both are great if (the grilled version above )not better...

ADAPTED FROM THE KITCHENS OF THE GORGEOUS NIGELLA LAWSON

FOR THE PESTO SAUCE.
2 bunches Basil leaves only
1/2 cup cashewnuts/walnuts/pinenuts or a mix
14 cloves of garlic(almst or rather a whole bulb)
1 c extra virgin olive oil.
1)bLItz the nuts,garlic and basil,in a blender,and in a stream add olive oil,like u would fo myo kinda.
Add parmesan cheese(1/4 cup)
MARINATE SOME SEASONED WITH SALT AND CRUSHED PEPPER CHICKEN WITH SOME OF THE PESTO SAUCE...

AND EITHER BAKE OR grill as i did and put all the marinade with a little in a pan and bring to a boil and simmer for awhile for a thick gravy.

the cut mushrooma marinated in the pesto,a few hours before i grilled 'em...

marinated mushrooms grilled just right.......

and few grilled crisp for the crispy lovers like me.....

2)FOR THE PASTA
---LINGUINIE COOKED AS PER DIRECTIONS
---1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL
---7 CLOVES GARLIC
---1/4 CUP PINE NUTS LIGHTLY TAOSTED
---A FEW BASIL LEAVES TORN
---LOADS OF GRATED PARMESAN


***HEat oil ,add the garlic& FRESH RED CHILLIES and toss around till the aromas fill the air and dont take too long a break to enjoy the heady aroma-----coz u need to toss in the pasta now and coat evry slippery strand w the
aromatic garlic oil....

(HERE I HAD A TWEAK COZ STIR FRIED ZUCHINNI,MUSHROOMS,PEPPERS,BABY CORN & CARROTS IN THIS OIL AND TOSSED ALL THE LINGUINE INTO THIS YUMMY FRAGRANT MEELLEE)
***tansfer to a warm bowl,sprinkle with basil,pinenuts & parmesan,leaving some for garnish..toss well

***Keep warm with a silver foil or to serve make a bed of the pasta tossed in flavoured oil w veggies(if using) and scoop in some pesto  gravy IN THE MIDDLE &chicken around the middle.

garnish with the rest of the basil,pine nuts and parmesan...

and here the marinated mussels pesto'd and grilled to perfection....

.......fingerlicking good........perfect with any pasta or mashed potato or as they are....

a very lovely post with perfect pictures awaits u at I HEART COOKING CLUBS,by Natashya(i so love what u did...amazing and yeah inspiring too!!!) and if ur looking foward as muc as i am to what the rest of the gang will cook up (more drooling...more recipes)this week head over to EXOTIC DESTINATIONS ...right HERE in the comfort of ur home...and that said my home always is where my heart is and my heart is with family and i make every destination home= love,peace,joy bubbling and skipping along with a gay heart and bursting laughter on my lips.....come fall in love......

FINGERLICKING GOOD DEEP YELLOW,PUMKIN @ CHICKEN THAI COCONUT CURRY @ NIGELLA LAWSON-@I HEART COOKING CLUBS..

Bdw, i now blog at Bright Morning Star!!

I aint a resolution making kind . . Now now do i wanna send a not very good impression . .no but thats the truth. . . But i love to look forward to a great year and a happily gay one at that . .and yeah go to gym or aerobic class regularly and ok ok looks like am already making some resolutions aint i? And jus a bit back who was it that said. . I dont make any resolutions. . . That said lets wander a bit towards our exciting topic of interest shall we or its more like to the main point of interest is it?

I tried this a bit back and was more than thrilled to find it at Nigella Lawsons cook along this month here.

SO u will have better pics ,then these taken from a cell phone!!!

Will definately try this delicious curry and if i do will blog about it again on this blog

And the RESOLUTION THEME is the party theme of the week at I HEART COOKING CLUBS ....(what do we do???oh we have tonns of fun cookin nigella in our kitchens every week or sometimes several times a week)this week and yeah i hop skip jump all along very happily....


And why do these little Pumpkin pics adorn all around...well coz fell in love with this little pumpkin carriage as soon as it walked in that door...cute aint it???Will it turn into a sleigh to take sowman around at midnight...lets wait and watch....

One thing i would resolute every single day is to blend eliciousness with flavour and say cut down on the fat or cal a bit. .like say maybe olive oil for butter. .(so muc for everything cant think of any more for now) every drop makes an ocean so i begin with this lovely coconut curry with an absolutely lite coconut milk that yet retains it great flav and yeah despite this change nigella rocked again.

Now where baked goods go its all butter coz i dont eat 7 or 12 cookies or cuppycakes in a day (lets forget about the days i do for now and finish off with a nice mug of hot chocolate and marshmellows for now shall we? ) does this sound any where close to a resolution post? I so hope it does. . . . Oh and im ever so determined to find a few cookie cutters , cute heart shaped and teddy bears and all those shapes that spell cute. . . . . . Candy and sprinkles this year. . . .

And try to get as much as baking goodies as possible so that these not being around limit my baking. . . I have no walmart or one of those bakery supply delightful stores that i can just wallk up the aisle with all my pocket money and mommy jus round the corner and drop all those goodies right into my basket. . . You get nothing here and at times takes me months to get my hands grabbing an ingredient or tool but of course i survive....

Now didn i just make a 100 resolutions just now. . And i think i make a few every single day and my to do list is updated all the time too. . .


So much for all said i am after all a resoluting gal aint i ?

Now for the recipe i actually cooked it up last year with this lovely pumkin and twice round and now if last year sounds like a long time. . . .was just a few days back . . .i find myself taking over lunches and dinners more often with a few cookies in between and tend to sway towards Nigella's recipes and truly wanna explore her exciting whole world before we wind up this term so truly there's no missing any week for me. . . . Hopefully. . . . . .and we have just begun our 2nd week of jan and the eager beaver me already wonders, now aloud, what the next four themes will be. . . .

Was chosing for a nice lunch curry and this one seemed apt to the t,i had a pumkin sitting pretty in the kitchen anyeah all i had to do was replace all the seafood with chicken and add some veggies...yeah we did have shrimps sitting in the freezer but its been a few days of seafood(i havent been able to post our italian grilled fish com crosto e parmesano and lemon garlic grilled fish and herby grilled fish with greens coz i couldn take pics but believe me these will all be repeats and will post em soon) and today was decided as a meaty day and here i was...

I dont usually get attracted to packaged pastes as i love to grind my own but dunno why i picked this tiny packets of thai tom yum paste & green curry paste from our supplier last week-maybe coz i found 'em cute ...and here they were actually usefull now coz i didn have galangal(though the sustitute for that is sadi to be gonger with fresh turmeric root-similiar flav,i did try this one)

And i wasnt going to buy the red or yellow curry paste so i mixed the 2 i had in stock,jus a wee bit...not to up the spiciness they lend...

ADAPTED FROM THE GORGEOUS KITCHENS OF NIGELLA LAWSON


Marinated 2.5 cups of bite sized cut chicken in a little of the following
~~~~chicken stock powder
~~~~fish sauce
~~~~dash of turmeric
~~~~dash o sugar
~~~~lime juice
~~~~1/2 tbh of green and red curry paste


So my marinade had all the flavours of the curry seepin happily into the chicken as it sat in its glass bowl,under cling wrap in the refrigeration

2)PLACE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING IN A POT AND KEEP ON THE FLAME...
~~~~400 ml coconut milk mixed with 700ml water and stock powder(chicken)-this i did coz wnted a v lite(somebody who cant eat too muc coconut stopped by n dis worked well),not creamy curry so for a creamy curry increase the coconut milk/cream and reduce the water
~~~~2 pink shallots cubed
~~~~2 stalks lemon grass cut into 1/3rd and bruised with a flat knife to release th aromatic flavours
~~~~3 kaffir lime leaves crushed(dried)
~~~~1 tbh sugar
~~~~2 tbh fish sauce
~~~~1/2 tsp turmeric
~~~~a few curry leaves bruised(optional)


As it comes to a boil whisk with a whisk until smoth and combined and add in the marinated chicken.
Simmer till chicken is almost done.
NOTE-The curry leaves get added coz little b was nostalgic about moms lovely goan chicken curry and i was cooking nigella(ofcourse mommy gave me a big fat green signal) and so in when those fresh ,garden picked curry leaves that he cycled around and picked(ofcourse the goan curry will be featured soon too)

3)Add 1 cup of pumkin cubed,green peas and robustly simmer till just done coz the pumpkin will continue cooking as it cools.


Serve with loads of cilantro/parsely/chopped spinach

A decilious curry even with a thinned out coconut milk....everybody loved it and it tasted fantasticly better the next day(always the case with a coconut curry)