Savory French Toast ... My first post for SRS

Those of you who've followed my blog for a while are familiar with the fact that I regularly participate in the SRC or what we call the Secret Recipe Club. I'm sure you're wondering if you're seeing a typo in SRS. No you're not.

A couple of weeks ago when I was jumping around from one blog to another, taking a look around, I came across SRS - Surprise Recipe Swap hosted by Jutta of Hungry Little Girl. I was so excited when I was accepted to participate in this group. You are assigned a blog and you pick up a recipe from there to try out and everyone posts on the 20th of the month. Oh! and another thing, you're not allowed to inform the author of the blog you're assigned that you have them for them month. Its a surprise. I like linkies like this. 

For my first SRS reveal, I was assigned Sheena's blog - Hot Eats and Cool Reads. Sheena reads and posts reviews on loads of books and you'll find some pretty interesting recipes there too. Like this Savory French Toast. This was a quick little number to put together with hardly any fussing around. Chop up a few things, place them in a baking dish, pop them in the oven to bake and in a little while, you'll be sitting down to a lovely, warm and hearty breakfast. Its a winner in my book. We heated up some leftovers in a pan the next morning and it tasted fantastic. So you can make this in advance too. I made half of the original recipe and those are the quantities I've listed below.

Savory French Toast Breakfast Bake

1 tsp. butter

3 slices of bread, torn  into cubes

3 slices of bacon, chopped

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 green pepper/capsicum, chopped

1/3 cup grated cheese

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

Salt, to taste

Freshly crushed black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

Grease a glass baking dish with the butter and layer the pieces of bread at the bottom.

Sprinkle the chopped onion, capsicum, bacon and cheese over the bread to distribute well.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour this mix into the baking dish.

Bake for about 30 minutes or till the egg has set.

Enjoy it warm!

If you'd like to join the Surprise Recipe Swap too, fill up the form here and you will receive the necessary details. I hope you join in next month :) Thank you Jutta for hosting this wonderful party and for letting me be a part of it.

Baking Partners: New York Style Pizza two ways

Today's post is my first as part of a fun baking group that I recently came across called "Baking Partners". Read all about it and join up here. The idea is a small group of people come together and improve their baking skills by targeting a common recipe / technique each month. I loved the sound of it and immediately signed up. Thank you, Swathi, for letting me be a part of this group.

Their goal for this month was attempting to make a New York Style Pizza from scratch at home. We love pizzas and I enjoy making them from scratch too and yet somehow, I've never blogged about if before. Strange, I know. I figured this would be a great way to add to my baking repertoire and I pretty much stuck to the recipe except for not using fresh basil in the sauce as it wasn't available. But I did instead add some mixed Italian herbs to develop a better flavor profile for the sauce. I halved the recipe and made 3 pizza pies of different sizes. This was enough for dinner for 2 with enough leftover for another meal coupled with a salad.

It was a good learning experience and I can't wait to see what this group decides to bake next. For now, here's a peak at the pizzas I made. They tasted wonderful and I was very pleased with the fact that it was made at home and not just ordered for. One thing that I will do the next time is pay more attention to presentation. Other than that, this recipe is great.

This is the veggie one we enjoyed. Toppings include red onion rings, green peppers and corn. I used a combination of Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese.

Here's a snapshot of the non-veg version. Toppings include red onion rings, green peppers and spicy pork sausage slices. I used the same combination of Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese for this one as well.

New York Style Pizza
Adapted from: Serious Eats

Shredded cheese of your choice - I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar
Toppings of your choice - I used Veg (Onion rings, Green pepper rings and corn kernels) and Non-veg (Onion rings, green pepper wings and spicy pork sausage slices)

For the Dough -

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tbsp EVOO
7 1/2 ounces lukewarm water

Place the flour on your workstation.

Make a well in the center and place the yeast, sugar and water in the center.

A water gradually and work the flour from the center working in a little bit of the flour at a time, till all the flour is used up. You may or may not need all the water.

When you've got a soft, pliable dough, place it on one side.

Spoon the salt on the workstation and pour the oil over the salt. Rub down on it using the base of your palm.

Work the oil into the dough. Round it off to a smooth ball, cover with a damp cloth and keep aside in a warm place for about an hour or till the dough has doubled in size.

In the meanwhile you can start working on the sauce.


For the sauce - 

1 (200g) pack tomato puree (non availability of canned tomatoes)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, finely chopped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Mixed Italian herbs
Salt, to taste
A pinch of red chilli flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 - 1 tsp. sugar

Heat the oil and butter in a pan.

Tip in the garlic and saute for a few seconds to release the aroma.

Tip in the onion and saute till the onions have softened.

Tip in the spices and herbs and stir it in.

Add the tomato puree and stir in. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Season with some salt, pepper and sugar. Stir and let it continue simmering till it thickens and the flavors develop, about another 15-20 minutes. Be careful to not burn it. Check on the sauce at about the halfway mark. If you're happy with the flavors, take it off the fire.


To assemble - 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Lightly drizzle some olive oil on the baking sheet and spread it on the pan.

Divide the dough into 2-3 portions. Roll into balls and using your fingers flatten it out to form a disc, keeping the outer edge a little thicker. Drape the dough over your knuckles and gently stretch till the crust is about 1/4" thick.

Place on the greased sheet. Spread the sauce over it. Add your toppings and finally the cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes till the cheese is all melty and has a few brown specks on it.

Take out of the oven, slice and serve hot.

Note: The original recipe has you rest the dough for about 24-72 hours. But when I did that the last time I made pizza, I was treated to a big disastrous mess in the fridge. So I made these the same day.

SRC: Melon-Cucumber Smoothie

Here we are - Its already the month of May and the Indian Summer hasn't been kind to us at all. With ever soaring temperatures and insane humidity levels, we've been reeling with the heat. I can't wait for the rains to kick in. However, if there's something that can take my mind of the weather, its got to be the Secret Recipe Club. Month after month we have 4 reveals by 4 incredible groups of bloggers, each Group headed by a hostess, Jane, Suzanna, Angela and Sarah for Groups A, B, C and D respectively, and at the head of this massive project, we have our fearless leader April. Thank you ladies for the huge effort you make each month to add this wonderful element of fun to our lives.

For this month's assignment, I had Nicole's blog The Daily Dish Recipes. Nicole is a mom to 5 teenagers and a bunch of furbabies - 4 dogs, 2 cats and a hedgehog. I've wanted to be a part of a big family for as long as I can remember. You've got to head on over and check them out. The kids are adorable and do check out the pets - they're cutey-pies too. You think Nicole would have her hands full, just taking care of the household. No can do. Besides cooking, writing, blogging and photography, she does scrapbooking, crafting, DIY and home improvement projects. She also enjoys reading, music and movies. I'll let you in on a personal secret - I think I've partnered with Superwoman for this months SRC. :) :) :) Nicole, you are my role model. How you get all this done, I can't begin to fathom, but you have inspired me to try getting a few more things done with my time. Its just the nudge I needed, so thanks a ton. 

I had such a wonderful time going through this blog. Nicole's got so much to choose from. I'm dying to try out so many things from her blog. You won't believe it, but I've had her post on Homemade Fruit Irish Cream Sodas pinned months ago. I was so glad to bump into her blog again, since I'd almost forgotten about these beauties. I'm so gonna try them this summer. She has so many other wonderfully cooling drinks listed that its no surprise that I decided to go with one of her smoothies for this month's reveal. I made a couple of changes to the smoothie based on availability of ingredients. I subbed almond milk for regular dairy and I don't have access to sweet basil, homegrown or otherwise, so I left that out altogether. The recipe below reflect the changes I made. What I ended up with was so good. Healthy and perfect for this never ending heat wave we seem to be going through. I know this drink will make an appearance a few time again before the summer is done. 

Melon - Cucumber Smoothie

(Serves about 4)

1 small Cantaloupe, skinned, deseeded and cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 fresh cucumbers, skinned and thickly sliced

1 cup milk

2 tsp honey (you can add this to taste)

2 cups crushed ice

Blend all the ingredients except this ice, till smooth. 

Add the ice cubes and blend again. 

Pour into glasses and chill out!!!

Nana Braganza's Beef Stew

REMINDER: I'm hosting a giveaway and would love for each of you to be a part of it. Up for grabs are gift vouchers from Amazon / Flipkart. For details and to participate click here.

Today I am going to share with you a wonderful recipe for which I can take absolutely no credit at all. Yup, you heard that right. This is a recipe that my husband remembers and has committed to memory from watching his mother and Nan cook. Can you believe that!!! I love him to pieces and its things like this that earn him extra brownie points. :) I remember the first time he whipped up this beauty was a few years ago. I was out of town for a couple of weeks on work. I had a few things cooked up and kept in the fridge for him to just heat up and eat while I was away. I knew he was good with puddings, breakfast and the like, but wasn't too sure if he'd manage mains for lunch and dinner. To my delight, when I got back from my trip, waiting for me was a pot of this beautiful fragrant stew. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Long story short, we both loved it and from then on, each time we have this stew, my husband actually makes it himself.

This is such a simple recipe and it requires just a handful of ingredients. If you use a pressure cooker to cook your meat, its comes together faster, which is what I did. Unlike typical Indian food, this stew is not spicy by is beautifully flavored. You can serve this up with a couple of slices of hearty bread or croutons or even over steamed rice. I personally think it tastes better on the next day, so we always make a little extra to enjoy for even 2 to 3 meals.

Nana Braganza's Beef Stew

1lb. beef, boneless (I use what we call undercut, very flavorful n tender, cooks up really fast, but you can use what you have on hand)
4-6 cloves
2" cinnamon
8 pepper corns
Salt, to taste
Juice of half a lime
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 onions, finely chopped
2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
1-2 fresh green chillies, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
3/4" ginger, finely chopped or minced
1/2 cup of red wine
2-3 rashers of bacon, skin taken off and chopped into small pieces (optional, but yum)
1/4 tsp crushed black pepper powder
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Cut the beef into 2-3 large pieces.

Sprinkle salt, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce over the meat. Add the cloves, cinnamon and pepper corns and toss well making sure the meat is marinated in this for about 10-15 minutes.

Pressure cook with a couple of cups of water till tender. I cooked it on low for 30 minutes after the first whistle. Let the pressure ease of on its own. Cut the beef into cubes. Reserve the stock.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the bacon. Let the bacon fry a little and release its fats. If you're using bacon you may want to reduce the amount of oil a little. If your not using bacon, simply move on to the next step.

Add the chopped onions and chillies and saute them.

When the onions have softened a little, add the chopped ginger and garlic and continue sauteing.

After a minute or two add the potatoes and continue sauteing.

Add some pepper powder and stir.

When the onions have slightly started to brown, add the wine to deglaze and add the stock that the beef was cooked in with the whole spices.

Let it come to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Add the meat and let it all heat through.

Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Once the flavors have fully developed, take it off the fire.

Serve hot.


This recipe has been linked to -
Show me you Plaid Mondays

Time to Sparkle

Tempt My Tummy

Wonderful Food Wednesday
Back for Seconds
Wow Me Wednesday
Cast Party Wednesday
What's Cookin Wednesday
Chef's Day Off

A few of my favorite things .... and a Giveaway.

Update: This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly. The winner is Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction. Congratulations Annamaria! Your Amazon voucher has been emailed to you. 

A big "Thank you" to everyone that participated. 


After a bout of spring cleaning, I was amazed at how things collect in the kitchen over a period of time, specially if you are invested in food or baking, as a food blogger, a hobby baker / cook etc. I came across a bunch of things that I've picked up over the past few years, some I use regularly and some are still waiting to be used. The ones I've used have all made my life in the kitchen a little easier and I'm all for that and I know the ones patiently waiting their turn will also be put to good use soon. I guess my motivation to pick these things up when I see them, is the fact that they're not always available, so I pick them up when they are. These instances are usually followed by a little happy dance in my head ;) I wouldn't dare do that in public :)

Back to my favorite things. Like I said, I tend to collect kitchen stuff over time, but if I had to pick my top 5 favorite things, they would be -

1) Wooden spoons - I have loads of these in different shapes and sizes. You can't have too many wooden spoons.

2) My silicone pastry brush and spatula - These are perfect for baking and candy making and cleaning up after use is a breeze.

3) Measuring cups and spoons - I wouldn't be able to bake without them.

4) My electric hand beater and whisks - These are indispensable.

5) My silicone bake-ware

These are things that are fairly basic and regularly used in my kitchen.

Anyway you've often heard me rant about scarce or no availability of good quality bakeware or cookware in India before. I was thrilled to know that those days are now behind me "sort of". I was recently contacted by www.CupoNation.in and was quite pleased when I went over their site. Not only have they tied up with a number of vendors that have varied collections for the kitchen and home among others, they're all at discounted rates. They have also very kindly offered a giveaway for all you lovelies that keep reading this blog and take time out of your busy day to leave a comment. I love hearing from you. Psst! You wanna know something ....I've already got my eye on a few things from their stores.

Up for grabs are gift vouchers that can be used on Flipkart.com (in India) and Amazon.com (globally). Follow these simple steps and the voucher can be yours. It can be used to purchase anything of your choice from these sites.


How to participate - 

This giveaway is open to all. Participation in this giveaway is very simple.

1) You need to follow this blog, subscribe to the Cuponation newsletter and comment on this post and let me know that you're a follower. If you already follow the blog, simply subscribe to the newsletter and leave a comment and let me know. Don't forget to include the name / details of your favorite kitchen tool / gadget in your comment.

2) You can increase your chances of winning by -
a) Following me on twitter @MyHobbieLobbie and tweeting about this giveaway.
b) Following My Hobbie Lobbie on Facebook and sharing the details of this giveaway, and
c) Blogging about this giveaway.

Once you've done this, please leave me a separate comment for each of these. This allows you 3 additional chances to win.

3) The giveaway ends on 30th April 2013. The winner will be randomly picked and announced soon after. Please make sure I can get in touch with you. If you don't have a blog, please leave me an email address so that I can contact you.

Good Luck!!!

SRC: Caramel Popcorn

Hey, I'm back with SRC this month. After last months technical goof-up ended up with me having to sit out, I can't tell you how happy I was to receive this months assignment. I can tell you this much, once you've been with SRC this long, having to sit out even for a month while the others play on can be a little bit of a dampener. It however was a lot of fun visiting the others. Thank you Jane for making it happen for us month after month here in Group A.

To check out my previous SRC assignments, click here.

Anyway, on to this month's assignment. This was the first time ever I've been assigned an Australian blog, actually, I think its probably the first time I've spent this much time on one. My assignment this month was Leigh's Chit Chat Chomp. What a fun name! And what a beautiful blog. Hi Leigh! I really enjoyed looking through your blog space this month. Leigh is from Melbourne and loves travelling and food. Her travelogues are very interesting. Though I didn't have the time to go through them all, with Easter prep and stuff, I've bookmarked them to read through later. I think I could plan a lovely trip to Australia with tips from this lovely blog. Go on and visit her! You'll have fun!!! Not to mention you'll be drooling over her lovely food clicks and recipes. It was fun having so many lovely options to choose from. Oh did I mention that Leigh has a little weekend catering venture that she runs. I have a more than a few recipes I want to try out and I'm sure once you head on over there you'll be in the same boat with me :)

For my assignment this month, I was on the lookout for some feel good food. I just got back from a 3-day weekend trip to Panchgani. More on that later. But coming back to the city had me down with a severe case of the blues. So when I saw Leigh's caramel popcorn, I knew I was going to make it. Popcorn and caramel - two of my favorite things in one. Its tried and tested comfort food that makes you feel better instantly. Who am I to disagree?  Its simple and quick to put together and I enjoyed every bit of it. I halved the recipe this time around since I knew I'd have no problem polishing off the whole lot and didn't want to be faced with that kind of temptation. And I was right to do so! What a treat this caramel popcorn is! I had to try really hard to keep myself from finishing it off. Lovely caramel flavor, with a tiny hint of honey! I'm so glad I now have a recipe like this in my arsenal. This will be perfect for parties and around Christmas!

Caramel Popcorn

40g popcorn kernels (I used a pack of Act II - classic salted)
1 tbsp butter
1/8 cup honey
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Cook the popcorn according to the manufacturers instructions.

For the caramel sauce, place the butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir it till the butter melts down.

Turn up the heat to a medium and bring the mixture to a boil for 3-4 minutes or until it turns golden and has thickened.

Take off the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda and stir well to combine.

Pour the sauce over the popcorn, mix to coat the kernels well and spoon onto a lightly greased baking tray to set.

Break into pieces and serve.


Check out these little chunks of deliciousness!!!

Finally on Etsy!!!

I have some news and I'm so excited that I'm not going to blab about it much. I'm just going to say it. Remember a while ago I started another blog called Claire's Party Supplies to showcase my handmade bridal accessories among a bunch of other party supplies. Well, I've finally opened an Etsy shop that carries these items, called Tropical Hues. Its a small start and I'm still in the process of listing items. I would really like for you to stop by and check it out and do tell your family and friends about it too. Your continued support has been a great source of encouragement and motivation for me. Thank you for being there and visiting and leaving such wonderful comments.

Don't forget to stop by -
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TropicalHues