Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

16 | 02 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

This simple cake with bright lemony flavor is my new favorite. I love Italian desserts and recently made a delicious Italian Love Cake for my girlfriends. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any pics since I was in a hurry, but I promise to share the recipe with you very soon. But this cake is something else. An easy dessert that’s so simple and perfectly satisfying and if you love lemon desserts like me, you’ll fall in love with this!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

I bought two tubs of ricotta for my Italian Love Cake and used just one. I scoured the web for ricotta recipes and stumbled upon this one. It sounded pretty simple and lemon and ricotta seemed like just the perfect combination. I had all the ingredients and couldn’t wait to try this! It did not disappoint at all and the flavors are right up my alley.

The cake is wonderfully moist from the ricotta and is light and airy.I doubled the recipe and it turned out amazing! did not use the apples as mentioned in the recipe and just went with lemon and ricotta. You could dress it up with some berries if you prefer or just keep it simple like I’ve done here. The hubs and the kids went for seconds and needless to say it disappeared in no time!This is one elegant looking cake and I can’t wait to make this for my friends. This is a keeper. Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

Lemon Ricotta Cake

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Ingredients
  

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 11 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ⅔ cup ricotta
  • zest of one lemon
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  • Grease an 8 inch round pan with butter.
  • In a large bowl using a spatula or hand held mixer mix the softened butter and sugar until creamy.
  • Add eggs and combine well.
  • Add the flour,baking powder and salt.Mix well.
  • Add the ricotta and lemon zest.
  • Mix until nicely incorporated and no lumps are left.
  • Pour into the pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until you see the edges turning golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Let it cool for a bit before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and serve!

Recipe adapted from Mon Petit Four

Fried Polenta

07 | 01 | 2015
By Soni Sinha

Welcome to the new year!As promised I’m on my task for the new year and have some exciting recipes lined up for you.During the winter break we visited our family in the UK.We met some old friends in London and had a lovely time with my in-laws near Birmingham.The kids got to meet their cousins and I also got to meet my sister in Wales and spent some quality time with her sans hubby and kids.We chatted our hearts out, watched movies, went shopping, you know..all the good stuff that sisters do!

Fried Polenta

We went out for a drive around the country side one morning and was hungry after a while.We spotted this lovely restaurant and decided to have lunch there.The menu consisted of some pretty good options and after much deliberation we settled on Fried Polenta with Asparagus that sounded amazing.Believe it or not I’d never had fried polenta before!I was always intrigued looking at the pics on the web or when somebody mentioned it but never tried it until this point.When the dish arrived it just looked stunning!The polenta was topped with pan fried asparagus,a poached egg and shavings of parmesan cheese.It looked divine and I couldn’t wait to dig in.It tasted amazing.Slightly crispy on the outside along with the contrasting textures of the asparagus and the egg.We enjoyed our lunch and ever since I came back I’ve been wanting to try them at home.

Fried Polenta 3

Hence today, Fried Polenta is on the menu for you.I had some cornmeal sitting in the pantry waiting to be used and this seemed like the perfect opportunity!I loved how easy the process is and it also makes for a great party appetizer served along with some marinara sauce.I searched the web for a good recipe and found this one from Giada De Laurentiis.I was delighted that they turned out so good in the first try !My kids ate them for their after school snack with a thumbs-up!Will be making them again and again!Enjoy!

Fried Polenta

Fried Polenta

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Ingredients
  

For Polenta

  • 6 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 ¾ cups yellow cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

For Fried Polenta

  • 3 cups Basic Polenta
  • 6 tbsp olive oil for frying
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • Salt
  • 1 cup purchased marinara sauce

Instructions
 

Polenta recipe

  • Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.
  • Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  • Add the butter, and stir until melted.

Fried Polenta

  • Cut the polenta into thin long pieces.
  • Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Working in batches, fry the polenta pieces until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the polenta pieces to paper towels and drain.Serve warm along with some store bought marinara.

 

 

Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs #backtoschool #SundaySupper

17 | 08 | 2014
By Soni Sinha

Summer holidays are coming to an end and I’m already fretting over my daughter starting Middle School in September.I’ve heard parents moan about all the work the kids come home with and hope that its a smooth transition for her.While she starts Middle School, my son will start his First Grade and is very excited  about it!He’s already counting the days and cannot wait to go full-time like BIG KIDS.That also means that starting September, I need to pack lunches for both my kids and I’m constantly looking for ideas.You are too? Well then, we’ve got over 40 recipe ideas for you that I’m pretty sure will come in very handy while planning out your weekly lunches in our back-to-school Sunday Supper.

Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs

 

When it comes to my kids’ favorites, there are certain foods that never fail like Spaghetti with meatballs.Since we don’t eat Beef, I always make meatballs using Chicken and it turns out great every single time.Plus there’s nothing like an authentic homemade sauce with carrots and celery that add so much flavor.I have to credit my sister’s mother-in-law for the recipe.She hails from Italy and cooks some of the best Italian dishes I’ve ever eaten.

Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs 3

 

My Chicken meatballs are absolutely delicious bursting with flavors from the garlic, oregano and parmesan cheese.Instead of breadcrumbs,I soak a slice or two of bread in water, squeeze out the excess and add them into the chicken mixture.The moisture keeps the meatballs moist and juicy.You can make the meatballs and the sauce in advance.The sauce lasts for a week in the fridge.Just heat the sauce and the meatballs in the morning,add the spaghetti and you have one amazing lunch option that’s healthy and delicious!My kids love it and so will yours!

Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs

Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs #backtoschool #SundaySupper

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Ingredients
  

  • Spaghetti-1 lb

Sauce

  • 1 Large Onion-chopped
  • 3 Garlic cloves- finely chopped or crushed
  • Carrots peeled and chopped-1/2 cup
  • 2 Celery stalks-chopped
  • Can of crushed tomato-13 oz
  • Oregano-1 tsp
  • salt and pepper
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil-3 tbsp

Chicken Meatballs-makes about 12-14

  • Ground Chicken-1 lb
  • 1 tbsp grated onion
  • 2 Garlic Cloves-crushed or grated
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 slices bread soaked in water
  • Oregano-1 tsp
  • Parmesan cheese-1/2 cup
  • Salt
  • chopped parsley

Instructions
 

  • Boil spaghetti according to the instructions.Reserve about 1/4 cup of the liquid and drain the rest.

Sauce

  • In a pot heat the olive oil and add the onions.
  • Saute for a minute or two and add garlic.
  • Saute for a minute and add the carrots and celery with some salt and pepper.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes.Add the oregano,salt,pepper and mix.
  • Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for about 15 minutes until all incorporated.Add the reserved liquid to the sauce to thicken.
  • Your marinara sauce is ready.

Chicken Meatballs

  • Squeeze excess water from the bread and add them into a deep mixing bowl.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
  • Form into balls and shallow fry them in a little oil until slightly golden.
  • Add the balls into the sauceand cook for 10-15 minutes.Pour the sauce over the spaghetti.Sprinkle some fresh parmesan all over.
  • Enjoy.

This event is hosted by Tammi from Momma’s Meals and Gwen from Simple Healthy Family and school lunches never looked this good!!

Back to School Beginnings

Back to School Lunches and Simple Suppers

Back to School Sips

Back to School Super Snacks

Back to School Sweets and Treats

Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET.  Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

 

Spinach Pesto Chicken Kebabs

03 | 08 | 2014
By Soni Sinha

Grilled foods cannot be complete without some juicy, moist kebabs.For our weekend bbq,I made these Chicken Kebabs with my  Spinach Pecan Pesto and it was just delicious.Spinach and Chicken go very well together and with the garlic and parmesan there’s some great flavors going on in these kebabs.You can use your own favorite pesto for this recipe.I just happened to have some fresh spinach waiting to be used and always have pecans on hand.

Spinach Pesto Chicken Kebabs

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I’ve been busy entertaining this summer and luckily was able to take pictures of these gorgeous kebabs.I added some onions and peppers for some extra crunch.The kebabs were marinated in the pesto for about 4 hours and grilled for about 7-8 minnutes on each side until they developed all those yummy grill marks.

spinach pecan pesto

My Spinach Pecan Pesto is super easy and is a great way to enjoy some clean, healthy flavors in your food.Apart from using it in your favorite pasta, you can also use it as a condiment/dip,marinade,base in your wraps/burritos, sandwich and so on.

I served the kebabs with some Couscous Tabbouleh alongside some grilled veggies for a delicious summer meal.Not to be missed this season.Enjoy!

Spinach Pesto Chicken Kebabs 1

 

Spinach Pesto Chicken Kebabs

Spinach Pesto Chicken Kebabs

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Ingredients
  

  • Chicken Breasts cubed-1 lb
  • Spinach Pecan Pesto-5-6 tbsp
  • Onions-1 large cubed
  • Peppers-2 cubed
  • Grape tomatoes-5-6
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive Oil

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the chicken in the pesto for about 4 hours.
  • Arrange the chicken,onions,peppers,grapr tomatoes on a skewer.
  • Sprinkle some salt and pepper all over and grill for about 7-8 minutes turning every few minutes until evenly cooked.

Greek Yoghurt Panacotta with Blood Orange Sauce

03 | 03 | 2014
By Soni Sinha

I spotted some gorgeous Blood Oranges while grocery shopping the other day and couldn’t resist buying them!I just love the vibrant color and the sweetness and decided to try a dessert.Something I’d never made before.Panacotta.I wanted to somehow incorporate the Blood Orange and decided to make a delicous sauce to go with the Panacotta.

Greek Yoghurt Panacotta with Blood Orange Sauce

So what is Panacotta? Panacotta is an Italian pudding that uses cream,milk, sugar and gelatine that helps it set and you can top it up with any fruits you prefer.I’ve used a combination of Greek Yoghurt,Half and half and Whole Milk and this recipe serves four.The pudding is lighter than usual because of the Greek Yoghurt and sets beautifully.You could serve it unmouled onto a plate or in your ready to serve pretty dishes.

Greek Yoghurt Panacotta

Let’s talk about my sauce for a bit.I could never have imagined it to go so perfectly with the Panacotta,but it does.The juice and zest of the Blood Orange just adds so much freshness to it and every bite asks for a bit of the sauce.It looks really pretty on the plate and my kids finished it off in no time.Panacotta is perfect for a crowd,since it can be made a day ahead.Enjoy!

Greek Yoghurt Panacotta with Blood Orange Sauce

Greek Yoghurt Panacotta with Blood Orange Sauce

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Ingredients
  

  • Whole Milk-1 Cup
  • Half and half-1/4 cup
  • Sugar-1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp
  • Vanilla Bean-1
  • Unflavored powdered Gelatine-1 sachet 10gms
  • Greek Yoghurt-1/2 cup
  • Sliced strawberries-for garnish

for the Blood Orange Sauce

  • juice of 2 Blood Oranges-1 cup
  • Zest-1 tbsp
  • Sugar-2 tbsp

Instructions
 

  • In a pot heat the milk,half and half.Scrape the seeds from the Vanilla Bean and add the seeds and the pod into the milk mixture.
  • Add sugar and simmer on low heat just until the sugar is dissolved.Do not boil.
  • In a small bowl add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture and mix the gelatine until dissolved completely.
  • Add the gelatine into the milk mixture and stir to mix.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Beat the Greek Yoghurt until smooth and add into the milk mixture whisking continuously.
  • Strain the liquid through a strainer.
  • Grease 4 ramekins and evenly divide the mixture amongst them.Put it in the referigerator to set for about 3 hours.

for the Blood Orange Sauce

  • Heat the juice ,zest and sugar in a pan on low heat and cook until the sauce reduces a bit.
  • Strain through a strainer.
  • Your sauce is ready.

to serve

  • Invert the Panacotta on to a plate.Garnish with sliced strawberries and drizzle the sauce all around.
  • Enjoy!

Recipe slightly adapted from Food Network