Home Depot Recycling CFLs

I am not, nor have I ever been, a big fan of Home Depot.
However, I have to hand it to them on this one.
They are recycling compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), free of charge, at all stores.
Just take your unbroken CFLs to the Returns Desk and Home Depot will safely recycle them.

Peggy

Coffee Panna Cotta

I had some left over cream in the fridge so I decided to minimize all the ingredients from the original recipe that just enough to make two cups.
I felt the panna cotta was too lonely standing alone so I simply process few oreo biscuits in the food processor, until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs then placed it beside the coffee panna cotta.


The oreo biscuit crumbs are just so match with the puddings especially the smooth and wobbling consistency, really attractive! I think this dessert is simple and nice for serving guests as it could be made in advance and keep in the fridge until the dessert time.

Recipe for 8 of 80ml cups

Cream 400ml / Milk 300ml / Sugar 75g / Gelatine powder 9g (1 tbsp) / Coffee 2tbsp or more / Oreo biscuits

1. Dissolve 60ml of water with the gelatine powder for about 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Cook the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan. Use a wooden spoon to stir while it is cooking.
3. Add in coffee when the mixture start bubbling, cook until the coffee dissolve.
4. Off the heat and add the dissolved gelatine. Stir until everything dissolve.
5. Strain the mixture into a bowl then stir the mixture under another bowl of ice water until its cool down.
6. Pour the mixture into the pudding cups and place into the fridge for 3 to 4 hours.
7. To serve, dip the cups into hot water for few seconds then transfer onto a plate.
8. Serve with some oreo biscuit crumbs, enjoy!

Elai Adai - A traditional Kerala special

This is a very traditional sweet made in Kerala. Its mostly kind of a seasonal recipe, since ripe jackfruit is the key ingredient. When jack fruit is out of season, nenthrapazham ( a Kerala speciality banana) or avil (beaten rice/poha) is commonly used. This adai is even offered as prasadam in Thirumandamkunnu temple at Angadipuram near Malappuram dist.

Ela Adai is jaggery+jack fruit+coconut mixture with rice covering ,steam cooked in banana leaves. The banana leaves indeed give a unique flavor to the adai. During the season, jack fruit is preserved as chakkavaratti (jackfruit and jaggery). When fresh jackfruit is out of season, this adai can be prepared using the chakka varatti and coconut mixture for filling.

For the outer covering
Raw rice ½ cup

Boiled rice ½ cup

Salt - a pinch

Inner filling

Ripe jackfruit 1 cup

Jaggery ½ cup

Grated coconut 4 tbsp

If you are using chakka varatti then

Grated coconut 1/2 cup

Jaggery 1/2 cup

Chakka varatti 4 tbsp (jackfruit jam made with jaggery)

For the outer covering

Soak equal amounts of raw rice & boiled rice for 2-3 hrs. Grind fine adding salt. The consistency should be slightly thinner than dosa batter.

To prepare the filling

Remove the seeds and the hair on the outside of the jackfruit bulbs. Mince it fine. Take a kadai. Add half cup of water and the minced jackfruit. Cook for a while & add jaggery. When the jaggery and the pieces combine well, add the grated coconut. You should get the dough like consistency.

If you are using chakka varatti, first mix grated coconut with powdered jaggery and put it on fire & stir till they both combine and add the chakka varatti and stir for 2 minutes.

Take plantain leaves and cut them to roughly 6”square. Clean & show them over the stove flame for a few seconds to make them flexible.

Spread 2 tbsp ground batter on the leaf like a thin dosa. Since I had to grind the rice before the required soaking time, you can find grains of the parboiled rice in my batter. But it did not affect the taste.

On another leaf, spread 2 tbspn of the filling

and then invert the leaf over the spread batter. Carefully lift the leaf and fold the adai like a packet.

Steam adais in the pressure cooker or idli steamer for 10 minutes.

Serve hot or cold. This tastes best when served cold.