Author: cookingwithshy

Green Papaya and Mango Salad

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Som Tam or more popularly know as the Thai green papaya salad is the perfect accompaniment with any Thai meal.Now while one is spoiled for choice with amazing Thai joints here in Dubai,I absolutely love putting together a simple thai meal at home. Last weekend we were having a pot luck dinner.I decided to make a Thai green curry with sticky Jasmine rice and this wonderful Green papaya salad.I for one am a big fan of this salad. Tips on selecting the papaya: Do select a green and un ripe papaya for this salad.You do want the flesh to be firm and white as possible. Grating the papaya is the easy way out.however I like to use a slightly different technique as I like a nice bite to this salad. Use a peeler and remove the outer green skin.Slice  a thin layer off the inner white flesh.Have a couple of such layers ready.Now place all these layers on top of each other.Cut them in fine slivers-more at an angle. I just love the sweet and spicy flavours in this salad.The …

Q is for Quinoa

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I’ve heard about it.My friends talk about it.I’ve read umpteen reviews,blogs and recipes on the benefits of it…bought it,stored it,gave it away and forgot all about it until last week,I saw it  while shopping for my groceries.So this time I decided I must cook it.The results were a fresh,satisfying and a delicious salad. Now you are probably wondering what all this fuss is about.Well its time for my kitchen to say hello to this wonderful grain called Quinoa(to be pronounced “Keen-wa”).I have to correct myself here it’s rightly classified as a seed and not really a grain.Quinon is gluten-free and power packed with goodies.High in fibre,loaded with vitamins and popular with vegetarians.You could use Quinoa in salads,casseroles and soups. I’ve put together this simple and delicious salad here.It light and healthy.I’ve used fresh chopped tomatoes,chopped avocados,black olives and cucumbers.Feel free and add your favourite vegetables as well. As I’ve said before turning to healthy choices is always an option.I’ve contemplating way too long on cooking Quinoa.We had this on the side with some steamed fish the other night.And …

Strawberry Velvet Cupcakes-Very berry Delicious

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Mom could you bake a Red velvet cakes was dear sons request last week.Actually he’s been after me to bake one for quite some time.I’ve been trying hard to stay off the sugar fix but the sweet tooth was victorious again. Mmmm Strawberries…delicious just as they are on warm summer days.I’m reminded of our berry picking visits while we lived in Toronto the past seven years.Warm summer afternoons spent at these strawberry farms.Walking through expansive fields of strawberries…looking for the brightest and the ripest ones to pick.Now I have seen some fields that seem to grow strawberries on our road trips to Fujairah and Oman.Though not sure if they would welcome strawberry pickers.So ofcourse settled for some store-bought ones. So  got down to browsing some recipes for Red Velvet cakes.There were so many versions and all looked great.However they all used Red food colouring which I’m not too fond of.I wanted to skip using the food colouring all together,when my son butted in and said”That batter hardly looks red” I’ve just added a dash and have substituted by using …

My Singapore Fling:Guest post for a dear friend Vineet

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I say fling because I’m absolutely in love with Singapore.I could travel a million times over and yet discover something new everytime.Vibrant,colourful and sunny would best describe this favorite city of mine. I so love exploring the small by lanes of China town and Little India.Always a pleasure to discover a hidden gem among these quaint and curious parts of the city.Small restaurants dot almost all parts of the city…amazing aromas of Singapore chilli crab,Char Kway Teow and simmering Dim Sum wafting through the air.Oh I’m craving for Dim Sum I said to my husband as soon as we got in. Well today Im writing about our discovery of two of the most amazing Dim Sum places in Singapore.These were both recommend by a very dear friend Vineet,who is as crazy about food as I am…So on landing we headed straight to DIN TAI FUNG on Orchard street.It was around noon and boy was this place packed…Local Singaporeans along with tourists all huddled together relishing hot steaming Dim sum… I even got a chance to talk to one of the chefs who was very painstakingly cutting and measuring each ball of …

Chocolate Cake: This one’s for you JD

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Today I got down to baking this moist and gooey Chocolate cake.I’d rather call it “THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE DECADENCE”.The best ever chocolate-y cake ever.Quite an easy one to put together.This one’s actually the celebration cake in our home.Sure enough for very Birthday,Anniversary and now even on Valentines,I land up baking this one.No special day today….just thought to myself…well chocolate needs no occasion right? Also given the fact that everyone in my family is a Chocoholic this one won’t last that long. The icing is a smooth,dark and velvety one.I’ve used dark chocolate(70%) cocoa.Lindt makes a good one for the icing.I’ve used some roughly chopped walnuts over the icing(that’s just me,love walnuts in practically everything) And then dusted it with some icing sugar…  Love at First Bite…. Irresistible Chocolate decadence….I’m going to have to join the Chocoholics anonymous soon.Hope you find an occasion in your homes to bake this gorgeous cake. INGREDIENTS: 9 tablespoons Cocoa powder 11/2 cups All Purpose Flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 4 ounces unsalted butter 11/2 cups sugar 2 eggs …