Bacon and Eggs in Bread Cups

Crispy, toasty bread with bacon bits and a soft runny egg nestled right in the center. This one is very close to Rachel Khoo's Croque Madame Muffins. However, I changed it to make it an easier breakfast dish. Bacon and eggs with cheese, in bread cups - everything is right about this.

This recipe serves one.

Ingredients:
Egg - 1
White bread with crusts off - 2
Bacon - 2 strips cooked as you like it
Butter - 1 tsp
Cheese - to grate on egg

Method:
1. Spread butter on both slices and line it in your ramekin.
2. Cut up the bacon and line the bread with it, or place them whole.
3. Crack the egg into it.
4. Grate cheese (I used cheddar) on the egg.
5. In a preheated oven (180C), bake for 20 mins.
6. Garnish with any herbs you like or eat it just like that.

I didn't add any salt because there's enough cheese and not to forget the bacon. 

Mocha Brownies

Chocolate and coffee can bring world peace. I truly believe that. More so in the form of Mocha Brownies. I did my bit. You do yours. Make a batch and spread some love.

Ingredients:
Dark chocolate - 1 cup chopped
Salted butter - 1/4 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Flour - 3/4 cup
Instant coffee powder - 2 tsp (or however strong/weak you'd like it to be)
Regular white sugar - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 2
Vanilla - 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Melt chocolate and butter together - either in a microwave or using the double boiler method (pot over a pan of simmering water).
2. Break in the eggs and mix.
3. Add vanilla and sugars. Mix well.
4. Add the flour and coffee powder, and mix.
5. Bake for 25 mins in a nonstick or a well greased baking tin (8 inches) in a preheated oven at 180C.
6. Try the toothpick test. If it comes out with a few crumbs, it's alright. If you still see the batter on the toothpick, bake it for another 5 mins.

Let it cool completely before you cut it up.

Churros!

I've seen it on pretty much every travel/cooking show there is, in most cookbooks, just everywhere -  it looks delicious and I've always wanted to make them. Churros! I mean, fried dough rolled around in cinnamon sugar and dipped in chocolate sauce - how can you not want some?

Ingredients for Churros:
Soft unsalted butter - 1/4 cup
Boiling water - 1 and 1/4 cups
Flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Caster sugar or fine sugar - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil for frying the churros

Ingredients for chocolate sauce:
Dark chocolate - 1 cup chopped
Fresh cream - 1/4 cup
Vanilla - 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Mix the flour and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add butter to the boiling water and tip it into the flour mix and stir. The batter will be very thick and almost dough like.
3. Fill this mixture into a piping bag with the star nozzle on, and let it sit while you heat the oil for frying. Make sure the oil isn't smoking hot.
4. One the oil is reasonably hot, pipe the dough out into finger sized strips into it.
5. Turn sides when it's brown enough and take them off once done.
6. Once you take them off the oil, put them on a plate with the sugar and cinnamon powder. Toss them in the sugar mix so they get coated well.
7. To make the sauce, simply put the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and once all combined take it off the heat.

Dip the cinnamon sugar coated churros in chocolate sauce and enjoy! You could also enjoy them without the chocolate sauce and with tea or coffee.

Sweet Chilli Chicken Thighs

One of my favourite parts in Master Chef Australia is the Master Class. What's not to love? Especially when the ingredients are the ones I recognize and can cook with. I just got my oven a week ago and was waiting to make Matt Preston's Sweet Chilli Chicken Thighs. I followed the recipe just as it is, but added chilli flakes, a few extra cloves of garlic and a dash of soy. I also let the marinade reduce to a syrup consistency so I could serve it with the chicken on a bed of rice.

Nutella Swirl Pancakes

Pancakes are so versatile. So many ways of making them. With chocolate, with fruit, with jams and jelly, savoury - so many! Today I made Nutella swirl ones. Take this pancake recipe and omit the peanut butter (or keep it), and just swirl the Nutella over the side up of the pancake when it's on the pan. Simple!

Chickpeas and Couscous Salad

I absolutely love working with leftovers and give it a makeover. I never throw away any leftovers from previous night's dinner, lunch or any meal. It's easy to work with them because they're already cooked - all you need to do is assemble them well. This time I had couscous, chickpeas, flatmate's tandoori chicken, grilled fish.

All I did was add olives, raw mango bits and mix it all up. Then I popped it into the microwave and then just drizzled lemon juice on top of it. There you go! Easy peasy salad that filled me right up. It was also a great pre workout meal.

Beetroot Hummus

Hummus is one of my favourite things. Back in Bangalore we had this restaurant we'd frequent called Pepper Cafe. For the first time I'd had beetroot hummus. It looked so pretty, and tasted even better. There wasn't a strong beetroot flavour, but my hummus was blushing.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas - 3 cups cooked
Tahini (white sesame seeds ground with olive oil for a paste) - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - from 2 lemons
Garlic - 4 pods
Juice from beetroot - 1/4 cup
Water - to loosen the chickpeas while grinding
Salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup and extra to drizzle on the hummus

Method:
1. Place the all the ingredients in a blender and blitz away till you get the right consistency.
2. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and serve with pita bread or veggie sticks.

Grilled Fish on Lemon and Coriander Couscous

I'd never eaten couscous before this. When I saw that bigbasket.com had it, and didn't cost my stomach, I thought I'd give it a go. I've been eating healthier of late anyway, and this would be a good addition in my pantry. I made a simple marinade for the fish and used the same for sauce. Turns out this is a really quick dinner - to prepare and to consume!

Ingredients:
Couscous - 1 packet (serves 3-4 people)
Coriander - handful, chopped
Lemon - juice from 2
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Fish - I used basa fillets
Mustard sauce - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Paprika/chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Marinate fish with vinegar, mustard sauce, paprika/chilli powder, garlic paste and salt.
2. Boil 400 ml water and pour it over the couscous in a bowl, and let it sit for 5 mins (follow instructions on the packet).
3. Head oil in a nonstick pan and place fish - cook for 3 - 4 mins on each side.
4. In the same pan, add the remaining marinade with a splash of water and mix well to make a sauce.
5. With a fork, fluff the couscous.
6. Add the coriander and lemon juice and mix well.
7. Serve fish with couscous.