easy broccoli & mushroom cream soup

another salt & pepper wonder!

(this one's a google image, but mine looked exactly like this and tasted amazing and comforting!)

Time taken: 20-30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Butter/ Oil - about one tbsp

Onion (chopped) - one (medium)

Garlic (chopped) – 2 medium size cloves

Broccoli florets - one and a half cups

Button mushroom (chopped) - one cup

Basil, dried leaves - one tsp

Ground Pepper- half a tsp

Salt  - to taste

Vegetable Stock - one cup (one fourth stock cube in one cup warm water could also be used if stock is not available!!!)

Milk (hot) - three-fourths of a cup

Method:

1. Heat butter/oil in a wide pan over medium heat and add garlic & onion. Sauté until onion turns translucent. Then add chopped mushrooms & broccoli and cook for a few minutes till veggies turn tender.
2. Once the veggies are cooked, puree the mixture in a blender and transfer back to the pan and cook over low heat.
3. Add the dried basil leaves and ground pepper and salt to it, stir and then add the stock & milk. Bring the soup boil and remove from stove.
4. Serve with any bread or have it without any accompaniments.

(Depending on temperature and boiling the consistency could be different from how you’re expecting.... so just add more (hot) milk or water as per taste and liking)

Banana Pan Cakes - Yummmiiieeee!!!!

preparation time: 7-10 mins
cooking time: 2-3 mins (per pan cake)
serves: two

Ingredients:

refined wheat flour (stirred & sifted) - one & a half tbsp

sugar (granulated) - two tbsp

baking powder - one & a half tsp

salt - one pinch

eggs (beaten) - two 

milk (warm) - three-fourth cup

banana (ripe & mashed or grated) - 1 (large)

butter (melted) - one tbsp

Method:

1. Mix eggs, butter & mashed banana in a bowl - mix well till it becomes smooth
2. Pour milk in a wide bowl. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and mix.
3. Mix the content from both the bowls and beat till smoothens - do not over beat.
4. Heat pan on medium flame and grease with butter. Pour one tbsp batter onto the pan and let it cook till base becomes golden brown. Then flip & cook the other side till golden brown and remove from pan. (Repeat for rest of the batter/pan cakes)
5. Stack the pan cakes one on top of the other and serve.

Accompaniments: Pouring maple syrup or honey on the pan cakes will add flavour. Enjoy :)

From a puppy face to a happy face in one bite!

A bad day, a sad day, a hectic day,

A big fight, a small fight, days when life is tight,

at the end of it all… good food will always bring a smile to your face J

Ask any foodie and they’ll relate to it!

*After a bad fight with mom when she asked if I wanted to have pasta that she made for dinner… no matter how upset I was with her and I wanted to pretend that I didn’t care about the food she cooked, it brought that little naughty smile on my face and on hers too.

*I had a long hectic day at work and I left office saying that I’ll go home & crash in bed… Just then a friend of mine invited me for dinner at my favourite restaurant… Suddenly all my tiredness went away, all day’s feeling of being a burden on self went away, all frustration just vanished… I felt so light & happy J

If one phone call did that to me, imagine what the meal must’ve done…

*My sister & I took my little niece for shopping where her eye stationed on something that was never going to be hers. It wasn’t expensive, it wasn’t too big or too small, it just wasn’t right for her at that point in time. She howled & threw tantrums. The noise created by her in the mall embarrassed us, but she wouldn’t stop.

Being the mother of the kid, my sister knew exactly what to do. She just got the kid to listen her and asked, “Do you want to have a Donut?” Believe me, there was no crying after that. The sobbing stopped, tears dried-up and a smile appeared from somewhere.

Not only these, I can recall at least 10 more situations like these where just talking about food brought smiles on faces..

Now you know why the meals are called ‘Happy Meals.’

Salt & Pepper!

Salt & Pepper are the most common elements of a pantry. There’s so much more to the duo! The former is white & the latter, black. One brings out the taste in food & the other one adds spice… They’re meant to be together as the combination makes the best comfort foods in the world!