No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Though I wanted to clear my drafts at the earliest, I do not want to postpone the posting of recipes which makes use of the seasonal fruits/vegetables. Strawberries are in plenty in the market and its hard to ignore those red beauties.  When  Mahabaleshwar is nearby, you can find them in heaps at the carts lined up near the market. I wanted to make best use of them during the season. My husband is happy with the milkshake. He says why bother to use them in any other way when the milkshake is heavenly. While looking for strawberry recipes, I came across the cheese cake recipe at Nandita's. And I decided it was the dessert for the New Year's eve.  I did not make much changes to her recipe except that I used some chocolate biscuit too and increased the sugar by 1/4 cup.

For the base

 

• Marie biscuit - 1 packets (24 nos)
• Chocolate biscuit - 1 pkt (I used Hide & Seek)
• Melted butter - 3 tblspn

 

For the cake

 

• Fresh Strawberries - 250 gm
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Hung curd - 1 cup
• Fresh cream - 1 cup (used Amul cream 200ml)
• Agar agar/China grass - 1 pkt (10 gm)
• Water - 4 tblspn

Method

 

I used a combination of marie biscuit and chocolate biscuits. You could use marie biscuit alone. Pulse the biscuit coarsely in the mixer along with the melted butter. Or take the biscuits in a zip lock cover and powder it coarsely with the chappathi roller.

  

Take a round tin. Line it with cling film. Make sure you leave some of the film hanging over the edge, to make it easier to lift the cake out of the tin, later. Spread the biscuit mix on the tin. The base should be firm. So press it down tight. Freeze the base for half an hour. Meanwhile prepare the cake mix.

 

 

 

Mix hung curd and cream in a bowl. To get hung curd, take almost 4 cups of fresh curd and tie it in a muslin cloth and hang it. The whey will be drained and you will be left with creamy curd.

 

 

Puree strawberry with sugar till smooth.

 Mix in the strawberry puree to the curd+cream mix. Mix well so that its uniformly blended in.

 

 

 

The agar agar I used were strands. I put them in warm water for 10 minutes. Then put that bowl in a pan of boiling water for the china grass to fully dissolve. Add the liquefied agar agar to the mix. Mix it well with a spatula. I reserved few drops of the puree and made a marble effect. But on setting, the effect was not seen, though. Leave in the refrigerator for overnight, to set.

 

 

 

Once set, take the pan and pull the cake out by lifting the cling film. You could garnish with some fresh strawberries or strawberry preserve. I served it plain

 

 

 

Notes:

 

The quantity of agar agar used  helps in the setting of the cake. I used only half a packet (5 gms) which I found was not enough. On leaving it in the fridge overnight also, the cake did not set well. Later I had to move it to the freezer to set. Then it set well. But once taken out, after sometime, it started melting like an ice cream. The full packet of agar agar would have worked well. But for that, the cake tasted well. No after taste of agar agar.

Poha Cutlet

My Kid is in KG1 and he goes to school in the Afternoon Session. He takes a light snack for the break-time in School. I normally try to give him a variety, so that he doesnt get bored of eating!!!! I know this is every Mommy's Tension!!! And Kid's these days Oh My God!!!! If i keep something which he doesn't prefer much, he will ask me the moment he gets down from his school bus, first it will be question, then comes the warning, "Why did you Give me Peanut Butter Today?" "I get Vommitting!!!!!" "Dont Keep me Peanut Butter again.OK!!!! All these interrogations and explanations will happen @ the Bus stop itself!!!! I dont remember asking my Mom these questions!!!! When i say this to my Mom, She Laughs and says "En Peran Puthisaali de (My Grand-Son is very intelligent!!!!!), hmmmmmmmmmm!!!! 

Now Lets come to the recipe story. One thing he like is these Cutlets. First thing it is small, easy to pick up and eat!!!! No Mess!!! So, he prefers to have them for his School!!!! Poha Cutlet, saw it on Cookery Show!!!! Tried it yesterday for my Lil Angel's School Box!!!! It was a Success!!!!!!!! So, definitely your Kid too would Love it!!!!

Ingredients

2 cups Poha/Aval (Loosely Packed)

1 Medium Potato, Peeled, Boiled and Mashed

2 green chillies

2 cloves of Garlic

a handful of Mint Leaves

a handful of Coriander Leaves

a small piece of ginger

Salt to taste

Oil for Frying

Bread Crumbs, if necessary

Method

Clean the Poha (the one i got here, had some dust). Take it a Strainer and Show it under running water  for   2-3 minutes. This way, the poha becomes soft. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some water and Make it soft!!!! Transfer the Poha to a Wide Bowl.

Grind the green chillies, garlic, mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger to a coarse paste and add it to the Poha, Mix Well. To this add the mashed Potatoes, Salt and Mix well with hands. If you feel the mixture has a bit of Moisture, add some breadcrumbs to it and Mix well. Divide the .Mixture into portions and shape them into patties. Heat a Tava/Griddle, Place 2-3 patties at a time and Shallow Fry the Cutlets. Enjoy with Sauce.

Check out my other Marathon Buddies Srivalli, Priya Suresh, Jay, Monika, Reva, PJ, Azeema , Ayeesha ,Veena and Soumya.

Protect Your Home This Winter Travel Season

Keep Old Man Winter at Bay When You're Away!

Though winter is not usually an in-demand travel season, many of us do head out of town during the coldest months of the year. From snow birds and holiday travelers to skiers and warm weather enthusiasts, there are plenty of people looking for ways to relieve those deep winter blues by getting out of Dodge!

If you will be spending time away from home this winter, be sure to take precautions to ensure your home is ready for your extended absence. The following winterizing tips will help secure your home and prevent costly damage to your plumbing, HVAC system, interior and exterior while you are away.


Choose Temperature Wisely

You may be thinking you will save money on utilities while you are gone, but if you leave your home’s thermostat off or set too low you could come back to a major – and expensive – problem. Frozen pipes will burst, which can ruin your home’s plumbing and flood the house. Even if you live in an area that doesn’t get much snow or ice, it is still a good idea to set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees. You will still save some money on energy costs, but your house will stay warm enough to keep your pipes from freezing.


Prepare Plumbing

Any kind of pipes can freeze and burst under the stress of neglect or frigid winter temperatures. No matter how cold it gets at your house, preparing your plumbing is essential.

Frozen pipes aren’t the only wintertime plumbing threat. Any crack or leak in the pipes could let in water that can cause significant damage to your home and personal property. If you are leaving your home for more than three weeks, it is best to have your water shut off completely and to drain the water lines. Insulate exposed pipes with pipe insulation available at most hardware stores.


Weather the Storm

For many of us, winter brings the harshest weather: heavy snows, ice, freezing rain, high winds, and sub-zero temperatures. A sudden winter storm while you are gone can wreak havoc on your house. Plan ahead and remove some of the risk factors from around your home and yard.

Secure outdoor furniture, grills, toys, garden equipment or lawn care supplies. Tie them down or put them in a garage or shed where they won’t be affected by bad weather.

Trim dead branches from trees and shrubs, especially where these limbs come close to your home or car.

Securely close and lock windows and skylights to prevent snow and ice from coming in.


Get the Lived-In Look

A great way to protect your home from would-be intruders is to make it look like you are still there. Set your holiday decorations and lights with timers, which you will find wherever you purchase holiday lighting. You might even want to put things like a few interior lights, the television, a radio or your computer on automatic timers.

Arrange for a neighbor to come over to clear walkways if it snows and to collect your mail. If you can get someone to check on your house every few days you can also dramatically reduce your risk of being victimized by a home invasion, or suffering major damage from frozen pipes.


Related Information from Horizon Services...

• Horizon Heating Services
• Horizon Heating Installation & Replacement
• Horizon Plumbing Services
• Winter Plumbing Maintenance Tips
• Winter Survival Guide
• Seasonal Energy Saving Tips
• 15 Ways To Stay Warm This Winter