June 2020 - Weekend Waffler

June 25, 2020August 14, 2020

Lemon-blueberry cake with white chocolate frosting

Lemon infused, studded with sweet blueberries and draped in a white chocolate frosting—this cake is a celebration of summer itself. I cannot let a single summer go by without baking this cake. Blueberries are available all year long in the place where I live. But nothing beats the flavor and sweetness of berries during summer when they are in season. Eaten whole or baked into a dessert, blueberries are the ultimate summer treat for people who love them.

June 19, 2020August 14, 2020

Everyday Brownies

There are some lofty brownie recipes and then there is this one, my everyday brownies. These do not require copious amounts of chocolate or butter and can be made with ingredients that are generally on hand. As for me, I always tend to have baking chocolate, butter, eggs and flour lying around. Whenever the mood strikes, I find myself turning to this recipe over and over again. There are more than one reason for that, but the most important is, I can make these even at the end of a long tiring day. And more often than not, it is on those run-down days that we specifically need a brownie fix. A warm brownie straight out of the pan with a tall glass of milk dawns in the feeling that everything is alright. It’s amazing how a tiny little brownie can conjure up emotions of joy and comfort. I guess food has the capacity to do that. These everyday brownies can be made occasion-worthy too, by serving them up with whipped cream or ice cream with a drizzling of caramel sauce.

June 16, 2020August 14, 2020

Tomato Soup with Grilled Garlic Bread

A bowl of this luscious tomato soup with some grilled garlic bread will give you all the warm fuzzy feelings inside. Undoubtedly an ultimate comfort food, tomato soup has come a long way from being a mere nursery food. From being a complete meal in itself to being an excellent first course in dinner parties, it has proven its versatility since a long time now. My version here is an updated one in that I add orzo pasta to the soup, making it a fairly substantial meal. I believe the starch from the pasta adds to the creaminess of the soup as well. This is an updated but easy version; it is hardly any trouble to make. All it needs is canned tomatoes , some aromatic vegetables and heavy cream. The crusty grilled bread is the perfect companion to the creamy soup. I like to smear the bread with some raw garlic as soon as it comes off the grill pan. A rainy day, a good book, a bowl of this soup, and I am in my happy place!

June 10, 2020August 14, 2020

Spaghetti al limone

Our lives are interlaced with work, school, sports, music and what not. Yes, our family has also jumped into the modern life bandwagon where time always falls short; we are ‘time poor’.

After a long day at work, cooking dinner should not feel like work or another chore. And for that we need simplified meals like this spaghetti with lemon and basil. It is a breeze to make and is delicious. During summer my garden produces a lot of basil, zucchini and lemons. And for me this seems to be a fine way to use up all that produce. I have found that pasta is often the best when made simply with the right combination of a few ingredients. And this simple pasta dish corroborates my perspective. Zucchini can be easily substituted with any summer vegetable of your choice and you can use any pasta you have on hand. The possibilities are endless once you know how to make this simple lemon-basil sauce.

June 6, 2020August 14, 2020

Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes and Herbs

Healthy eating does not necessarily imply a mere spiritless consumption of micronutrient rich food. There has to be joy attached to it, and flavor makes eating a joyful experience. Tomatoes, herbs and balsamic vinegar add so much flavor to this healthy and simple roasted halibut that you would want to make and eat it again and again. The halibut cooks directly atop the tomatoes making it an easy one pan dish. I chose Pacific halibut because that’s what I had in my freezer, but you can substitute it with any firm white fish such as cod, mahi-mahi or striped bass. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, use any vinegar you have on hand. My only request to you is use fresh herbs only, because I feel the herbs add punch to this otherwise unassuming dish. Cooking the fish on high heat and less amount of time lends it a moist and buttery texture.