HOT N' SWEET BOWL

Turmeric Ginger Lemonade

Turmeric Ginger Lemonade is best drink for this pandemic as we all are focusing more on boosting immunity. All the three key ingredients used in this drink are well know for increasing immunity.

This is one of the best immunity which kids enjoy as it has very close taste of lemonade which kids enjoy. This tastes best when served cold.

I have used fresh turmeric in this recipe if it not available regular turmeric powder can be used here. But I personally love the bold flavor of fresh turmeric.

Ingredients :

Fresh Turmeric 1/2 inch piece or Turmeric Powder 1 teaspoon

Fresh Ginger - 1 inch piece

Juice of fresh lemon - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup or more

Cold Water - 2 cups

Procedure :

Peel and pound ginger

Peel and grate fresh turmeric

Add pounded ginger to 2 cups of water and bring it to boil once it reduces 1 cup add grated turmeric and boil for few mins (if not available add turmeric powder)

In a large bowl add fresh squeezed lemon juice add sugar and mix well (Add more sugar if needed as per your taste)

Next strain the ginger mixture to the bowl and add cold water mix well and serve

Step by Step Video :

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

This is one of kids favorite dish. It's a creamy and rich comfort food. My kids enjoy this every time i make this recipe. It's an easy one pot pasta dish.

I also make a bake version of mac and cheese which is awesomely delicious with buttery bread crust. I will soon post that version soon.

This is a simple version of Mac and Cheese which can be easily served for a crowd in minutes. Basically cook the pasta as per the package instruction. In meanwhile make a sauce with butter, flour and milk and flavor the sauce with nutmeg, chili powder and onion powder and for the cheese i use shredded cheddar cheese.Once the cheese melts i make the sauce nice thick and rich and then i toss in the pasta.

Ingredients :

Elbow Pasta - 4 cups

Butter - 1/2 cup

Flour - 1/2 cup

Whole Milk - 2 cups

Cheddar Cheese - 2 cups

Nutmeg - 1 pinch / 1/8 Teaspoon

Cayenne pepper - 1/4 Teaspoon

Onion Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon

Salt and Pepper

Procedure :

Cook the pasta in lot of water as per the instructions on the box.

In a large pan add butter once melted add all purpose flour and whisk until well combined.

Once the flour is cooked a bit (Color changes a bit) add milk and whisk well until flour mixture is well combined with milk and bring this to a boil.

Add nutmeg, cayenne pepper and onion powder and mix well. By this time the milk would have thickened.

Next add the cheese and mix until its melted and combined with milk and becomes a creamy sauce add salt and pepper as needed (taste and decide).

Toss in the cooked and drained pasta and mix well until all the pasta is coated with sauce.

Serve hot!

Step by Step Video :

4th Of July Goodies

Happy 4th of July! ...

I was planning to make something funny and interesting for kids for this yest July 4th. I was thinking something in Red, White and Blue and ended up making a Red, White & Blue Popcorn and Candy Barks.

For any colorful yummy treats candy melts are a big lifesavers. Numerous creative desserts can be made from candy melts. I will post my creations one by one in future posts. For Candy popcorn I use fresh popped white popcorn(without salt) and drizzle red and blue candy melts on top. For Candy barks just melt bright white candy melts and top it with dollops of candy melts and swirl it with toothpick and top it with sprinkles. Both of these are very easy recipes and can be made for big crowd in minutes

Red, White and Blue Popcorn:

Ingredients :

White Popped corn - 3 cups

Red Candy Melts - 1/4 cup

Blue Candy Melts - 1/4 cup

Procedure :

Place popped popcorn on a cookie sheet in a thin layer.

Melt candy melts in microwave or in double boiler.

Drizzle red and blue candy melts on top randomly.

Allow it to cool until the candy is firm on the popcorn.

Red, White and Blue Candy Bark:

Ingredients :

White Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup

Bright White Candy Melts - 1/2 cup

Red Candy Melts - 1/4 cup

Blue Candy Melts - 1/4 cup

Red, White & Blue Sprinkles - 1 tablespoon

Procedure :

Melt chocolate chips and candy melts in microwave and stir until silk and smooth.

Line a pan with parchment paper and pour the chocolate mixture and even out the candy in 1/4 inch thickness.

Dollop the red and blue candy melts on top of the white chocolate mixture and with toothpick make swirl around the candy melts.

Top it off with Red, white and Blue sprinkles and allow it to set until its firm. Once firm peel off the parchment paper and break the big bar into small pieces

Step by Step recipe Video:

Strawberry Ice cream Roll

Ice cream roll is a frozen dessert also known as stir fried ice cream. This is a simple dessert made with very few ingredients. The main concept of this dessert is to incorporate air into the cream mixture by stir frying. The whole process can be done in a mixer but doing it with hand makes it more fun and special. At store they have a special equipment which will keep the tray frozen while the ice cream is stir fried and the whole dessert is made in few mins. At home I used a regular sheet pan and froze the pan a couple of hour before staring and Once the stir fry is completed mixture is returned to freezer to freeze and set the ice cream.

I wanted to try this with different flavors. To start with I made with strawberry one of my daughters favorite flavor.

Rolled ice creams are in trend now and it’s my turn to try this out. What else could be more fun for kids than making their own ice cream. Kids and myself fully enjoyed the whole process. One of the best activity to enjoy with kids during this quarantine summer.

Ingredients :

Heavy whipping cream- 1 cup

Condensed milk - 1/2 cup

Fresh strawberries - 1/2 cup chopped

Procedure :

Freeze a sheet pan for few hours

Mix Cream, Condensed Milk and Strawberries and start mashing and chopping the strawberries and mix it with cream mixture.

Once the strawberries are well mixed with cream mixture return the tray to freezer for 2 to 3 hours.

Remove the sheet pan from freezer and cut the ice cream into stripes and start rolling. Then transfer the ice cream rolls to a cup and top it with some fresh strawberries.

Note : Once the Ice cream is rolled if you fell its melting return the rolls to freezer for few mins and then serve.

Step by Step recipe Video:

Indoor S’mores

The most existing part of camping is lighting up a campfire in the dusk and no campfire will be complete without toasting S'mores. This is a all time kid's favorite campfire treat.

S'mores are traditionally cooked using a campfire. A marshmallow, usually held by a metal or wooden skewer, is heated over the fire until it is golden brown. Traditionally, the marshmallow is gooey but not burnt, but, depending on individual preference and cooking time, marshmallows can range from barely warm to charred. The roasted marshmallow is then sandwiched between two halves of a graham cracker and a piece of chocolate, between the graham crackers.

During this pandemic period going out for camping is not easy. Staying at home without any vacation and fun time for kids, this Indoor S'mores is a best way to recreate outdoor camping. This whole recipe is made in oven instead of direct fire.